Sky Dancer
by PhantasmBabeIvory
Summary: A retelling of the Energon Universe & sequel to Starxis. Alexis' induction into the ranks of the Transformers coincides with the emergence of a new threat & the return of several old enemies. StarscreamAlexis pairing.
1. Preludes

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll I had going. No offense to anyone who came up with an original name, but I decided to go with the majority vote._

_To Goggleplex -- I liked the name, Stormshock, you thought up, and may be using it in either this story, or a third one if that comes about._

_To Jason M. Lee -- Sorry for subjecting you to a poll. ;)_

_Hope you like this opening to the official sequel to Starxis._

Prologue

It was amazing how quickly ten years could go by.

Walking along the coast at the top of a sand dune and staring out into near still water of the Pacific Ocean (if she didn't count the waves lapping against the shore), Alexis Carpenter could almost pretend that the only thing she'd find below the surface was the local marine life. Giving a sigh, and bowing her head to smell the white tulip she'd plucked her own garden prior to walking to this location, she found herself reflecting on the events that had shaped her life, nearly a decade ago.

When she'd first been exposed to an alien race of sentient robots, averaging from thirty-five to fifty-five feet tall, calling themselves Transformers, when she was little more than a fourteen year old girl, Alexis had never imagined the huge impact that the encounter would have on her life. Not only had she played a significant role in ending a war that had been waged (between two factions -- the peace-loving Autobots and war-mongering Decepticons) for millions of years _and_ taking down an enormous god-like being who'd threatened to wipe out everything in his path, but she and one of the Transformers had fallen in love with each other.

What was even more ironic was that she, and the bot she had fallen for, had become the adopted parents of the cutest furry extraterrestrial critter (Starxis) she was aware even existed. Roughly the size of an overgrown tiger, the youngling bore a slight resemblance to an ordinary ferret. Given his friendly nature and propensity to take whatever available measures to protect her or his "father," it hadn't taken Starxis long to win either of them over.

Alexis' musings were interrupted at that point when she felt a gentle nuzzling at her right arm. With a smile, she turned to look at Starxis, simultaneously moving one hand to touch the top of his brown fuzzy head. "You reading my mind again?" she said softly, her grin growing even wider when he offered a single chirp by way of an answer. "I guess so… I bet you're looking forward to seeing Starscream again just as much as I am."

This earned another cheerful chirp from him, prompting Alexis to lean over and give Starxis a hug. During a long ago mission to Mars, the youngling had been found (newly hatched) and brought back to Earth by Starscream, a Decepticon (who was the very bot she'd fallen for) who'd defected to the Autobot team after his commander had betrayed him one time too many.

Early on, Alexis had learned, from the one Autobot who was familiar with the youngling's race, that population problems had led into the construction of space-faring pods designed to transport the unhatched babies to other planets that exhibited signs of life. Through a twist of fate, Starscream had just happened to be the one that Starxis had claimed/imprinted as his adopted father.

It had become apparent early on that Starxis (and supposedly, others like him) could easily adapt to alien environments, was telepathic to some degree, and was capable of granting one wish each to his new parents (though it wasn't immediately known that he'd chosen Alexis as his mom). While she had already used her wish, kind of by accident, a long time ago, Starscream had been holding on to his for the past decade at her behest, though she doubted that he would continue to do so for much longer.

At that thought, Alexis looked out towards the ocean again and was drawn back into her reflections over the changes wrought over the past ten years. She'd never imagined, once the war had ended and she and her friends were returned home from their sojourn to the Transformers' own world of Cybertron, that her giant metal friends would come to establish their own colonies here on Earth.

And yet, there was one such metropolis out there, hidden beneath the sea's surface at this very moment. Dubbed Ocean City (by whichever unoriginal person or bot that had come up with the name first), it was a structure that was home to Transformers and humans alike, designed to be raised or lowered in regards to the surface level with only a few simple keystrokes. If not for the fact that Starxis preferred the outdoors and was prone to getting antsy (particularly these days) if stuck in the same enclosed space for weeks on end, Alexis might have been living in Ocean City full time.

Alexis resumed her walk among the dunes, once more smelling the flower she held and thinking romantic thoughts about Starscream. She had missed him these past few months, as he'd been stationed on Cybertron as part of a rotation. This was standard procedure for the Transformer soldiers; they were routinely shuffled from one assignment\location to the next, every six Earth months.

_It will be good to see him again after so long,_ Alexis mused, and was unprepared for when she got a telepathic response. This was courtesy of Starxis, who had exposed her and Starscream's minds to each other, and allowed them to carry on mental conversations over long distances. Nevertheless, it always surprised her when a channel was opened up without warning; Starxis sometimes seemed to initiate them when she least expected it.

_I look forward to seeing you too,_ stated that raspy voice with metallic undertones she adored so much. _If all goes as planned, I should be back on Earth this evening… Any surprises I should prepare myself for?_

Alexis chuckled aloud, then mischievously responded with, _I dyed Starxis' fur green and gave him a mohawk…_

After a moment of silence (she wondered if Starscream actually thought she was serious), there came the sound of soft laughter. At the same time, Starxis gave a slightly incensed chirp, shaking his head to show his disapproval of the remark.

Alexis reached out to stroke the spot behind the youngling's left ear in an effort to placate him. _Okay, I'll be serious_, she sent out to Starscream. _I think I'm ready now…_

She didn't have to clarify this; there was every indication that he understood what she was saying when he responded. _Your parents finally gave their approval?!_

Alexis bowed her head, staring blankly at the tulip in her hand. _Hardly,_ she answered. _But I think they've accepted that this is what I want._ She paused, feeling an unexpected touch of melancholy at the things she'd be giving up. It seemed odd to be saddened at the prospect when she'd had ten years to get used to the idea of what she'd be sacrificing. But perhaps it was natural that she'd be experiencing some last minute doubts, now that the day had actually come.

Alexis didn't know how long she might have remained stuck in this reverie had something strange not occurred out in the ocean, almost at the horizon. It didn't take her long to work out what she was seeing -- given the way the sea water erupted and/or was upset by the immense structure that rose from its depths, she quickly determined that the city had been made to surface.

_That's impossible,_ Alexis mused. _It wasn't scheduled to do so until this evening…_

Starscream's voice sounded once more in her head, asking what was going on. Even as Alexis filled him in, she turned towards Starxis, climbing up onto the youngling's back and softly asking him to take her in for a closer look.

Starxis gave an answering chirp, instantly spreading the leathery wings that had until now been indistinguishable from the rest of his body. In seconds, he had taken to the sky, soaring out towards the city in the distance so swiftly that Alexis had to bend in close behind his head to avoid the wind shear.

She wasn't given long to wonder when she saw a sign of movement on the paved bridge that was now stretched out between the city and the shore. Alexis cast her gaze downwards, and gave a soft groan once it registered just what she was looking at. _Kicker's up to his usual tricks again,_ she thought, watching the hotheaded teenage boy attempting to escape Ocean City on board a familiar gray motorcycle that had been upgraded from its mountain bike guise of ten years prior. _And what do you know -- he's actually gotten High Wire in on the act._

A soft chuckle resonated through her mind. _Somebody needs to put a leash on that boy,_ Starscream answered. _Who gave him the authorization codes to surface the city anyway?_

Alexis grinned. _Knowing Kicker, he probably acquired them in a sneaky way…_ She paused, taking in the sight of the yellow sports car in hot pursuit of the boy. _Looks like it's going to be okay. Hot Shot's after him now._

If Alexis had been able to see Starscream, she had no doubt that he would have been wearing a sardonic smile, given his next comment. _Not that I don't enjoy the play-by-play, but could we get back on topic?_

Alexis hesitated for a long while, mind adrift with all aspects of her decision. She sat up straight on Starxis' back, as the youngling had come to hover some distance over the city. Yet, the reasons for wanting to do this still stood; if she remained as a human, then she was destined to die long before either Starscream or Starxis did. The facts were simple -- she loved them, and if this was what she had to do to be with them indefinitely, then it was a leap she would gladly take.

Giving a sigh, Alexis stretched out her right hand and let go of the flower, watching the ocean breeze carry it away. _I'm ready_, she thought, more to herself than for Starscream's benefit. _By the end of the day, I will be one of the Transformers…

* * *

_

It was nothing short of a nightmare to be a ghost, especially if one were sentenced to wander through the same enclosed space for years on end. Such was the case with Sideways, an enigmatic, arrogant member of the Transformer race. Back when he'd signed on as a servant of the dark god, Unicron, he'd never in a million years have imagined that this would be the outcome.

_How did things go so wrong?_ Sideways mused, though he knew the answer. For all of his subtle manipulations of the Autobots and Decepticons' war with each other and drawing power from the hatred felt by the two sides, Unicron had vastly underestimated the courage and resources of a select few bots and humans, when he sought to destroy all of Cybertron and the planet's inhabitants.

When Unicron's power base had been depleted at a critical moment, when he had been in the process of restoring Sideways to life, the end result had been that the latter was now nothing more than a phantom and seemed to be indefinitely trapped within his master's enormous body.

Sideways had hoped, when he had come up with a new method of allowing Unicron to grow in strength, that it would provide an answer to both of their problems. Not only would it allow the dark god to escape the exile he'd been cast back into following the war, but there was every chance that Sideways' restoration could be completed and he'd have a solid form again.

For a time, it had seemed that the ploy was working. Though he'd had to go to great lengths to exert his influence on the outside world, Unicron had succeeded in destroying a whole uninhabited planet and converting the matter into energy. After two or three more worlds had been likewise consumed, the dark god had made his reemergence into this universe.

Until Unicron had attempted to devour a world known simply as Planet Q, home to a regal sect of Transformers independent of Cybertron, all had been going so well. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of this world had fought back, and quite successfully at that. The resulting cataclysm had obliterated the planet and essentially blew Unicron to pieces as well. For all the power that the dark god had collected, it wasn't sufficient enough for him to (quite literally) pull himself back together.

An annoying side effect of this debacle was that one of the inhabitants of Planet Q had survived, or rather, his spark (the heart and soul of the Transformers) had. This being (now seemingly calling himself Alpha Q; how unoriginal was that?), despite being without form, had exerted an influence that Sideways had never thought possible to forge a body from Unicron's remains.

Over the past year, Alpha Q had come to control every inch of Unicron's ruins, even so far as overriding the thought processes of the dark god. It made sense that Alpha Q could achieve this, given that Unicron was essentially a planet-sized version of a Transformer and was subject to the same limitations as his smaller counterparts. And, given Sideways' current status, there was little choice but to endure the pest's presence.

What was even more annoying was that Alpha Q seemed to possess something of a fragmented personality; perhaps witnessing the destruction of his world had shattered his mind in some way. Subsequently, when he'd built his new body, a white, spindly, and alien-like outer shell with a large rotating cone housed inside its maw, he had designed several different shaped heads to give voice to each of his "personalities."

Nothing was more maddening than to be subjected to one of Alpha Q's discourses with himself.

Nevertheless, Sideways had taken a sick pleasure in naming each of the guy's interior heads/personalities out of spite. Each one (Spazz, Nonchalant, Brainiac, and Laser Happy) was quite fitting for the face it had been applied to. Though Sideways knew that a fifth personality existed, as he would sometimes hear a distinct voice that differed from the other four, he was never near enough to make out the words and thus determine what designation was best suited for it.

He wondered if Alpha Q, crazy though he might be, was deliberately keeping him from discovering anything about this alternate persona.

As Sideways wandered back into the enormous chamber that housed Unicron's heart, it was to hear the three most dominant facets -- Spazz, Brainiac, and Laser Happy -- having another one of their "arguments" on how best to gather power to repair Unicron's fragmented body. Had they been talking about restoring the dark god to life, Sideways might have gone to great lengths to ally himself with them.

Unfortunately, Alpha Q seemed to dislike having Sideways around just as much as the latter hated him, and the spindly bot seemed to have an agenda all his own when it came to Unicron's ultimate fate. Exactly what that was supposed to be, Sideways didn't know; perhaps this was another thing he was deliberately being kept in the dark about.

The best that Sideways could determine, as he once more viewed the cable hooked into the back of Alpha Q's head that led all the way up to Unicron's processor, was that the pest was looking to wield Unicron as the ultimate weapon, once his body was completely fixed. One thing that was certain, if this was indeed the case, was that Sideways' chances of regaining a solid form were looking very slim indeed.

Then, he heard Spazz say something about being too impatient for waiting for his "companions" to come up with a plan, and this caused an idea to begin forming. Looking downwards and tuning out the sound of Alpha Q's voices, Sideways began to wonder if there might be a way to manipulate the situation in his own favor after all…

* * *

It had taken Megatron (former commander of the Decepticon army) several years to determine that he wasn't dead after all. Like every member of his kind, he had been unsure of what the afterlife should hold, but he doubted very much that he should have been experiencing any pain (even in the slightest) or been unable to move.

When he had reached this conclusion, Megatron began to wonder what had gone wrong. He had willingly sacrificed himself to save his planet and every single member of his own race, so how was he still alive? More importantly, had he somehow failed, leaving Unicron free to destroy Cybertron and the Transformers?

It had taken another few years, but Megatron's mind had been put at ease when he'd one day heard the sound of Sideways' voice (what did it take to kill that guy?!) resonating through whatever this place was. The remarks had been sufficient to tell the Decepticon leader that the war had been won and that his people had been the victors at the end of the day. Eventually, this had led Megatron to determine that Unicron must have brought him back, perhaps in an effort to reclaim the source of his power that had been housed in Megatron's processor at the instant of his death.

As time continued to pass by, following this realization, Megatron began to grow increasingly bitter at being stuck in whatever prison was holding him. Incapable of motion and subject to moments of feeling incredibly weak or tired, all he had to sustain him were his own thoughts. And even those were gravitating more and more towards the unfairness of his situation and how he hadn't asked for or wanted to be resurrected.

So it was, that when Sideways came to actually speak to him, Megatron ironically viewed the bot that he'd once thought of as a traitor and/or deadliest of enemies as his most likely source of salvation. Had he been able to see, he would have gotten the sense that Sideways was being sincere in the way he kneeled before the Decepticon leader as well as in the tone of his voice.

Staring upon Megatron's outlined form trapped within one biologic wall that made up Unicron's stomach, Sideways said, taking a chance that his companion was aware enough to hear him, "Whatever it takes, I will find a way to restore you to your former glory, Megatron… And all I ask in return is that you aid me in eliminating a certain parasite that has seized control of the mighty Unicron…"

_Next up: An entire chapter (which hopefully won't take long to write) centered around Alexis' transformation..._


	2. Lost In Love

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's notes: Hope you enjoy this installment, and that you like the vehicle and colors I picked out for Alexis. If not, they can always be changed. :)_

Chapter One

Thanks to Kicker's raising of Ocean City before its scheduled time, Alexis was allowed inside sooner than she'd thought. After exchanging some brief words with the troublesome teenager and Hot Shot, and engaging in some friendly banter with Demolisher (Starscream's closest friend) at the front entrance, she had soon made her way down to the human living quarters.

Her first stop was the kitchen area to grab two cans of tuna from the pantry. Alexis had them open in no time and the contents of each were soon unloaded onto a plate which she'd set on the counter.

Starxis wasted no time in indulging in this meal, as he propped himself up by planting his front legs on a stool that had been bolted into the floor and tilted his head to begin eating. It was about the only thing he would ingest; Alexis supposed it bore a resemblance to whatever delicacy existed on his own planet.

After the youngling was done chowing down, Alexis reached out to stroke his head, asking simply, "Good as usual?"

Starxis gave her a smile, and then spoke a single word, in a cheerful, chirrupy tone. "Yum." When he'd begun talking nearly two years ago, it had surprised her immensely; she'd not thought him capable of articulating her language (or Starscream's, for that matter) until then. However, this too bore a resemblance to a human child's learning to talk. Starxis never seemed to go beyond one to four words at any given time, and his sentences were often broken. Sometimes, she and Starscream had been forced to guess at what he meant.

Alexis' own smile grew even larger. For a moment, she said nothing, lost in her own thoughts, then she focused back on the youngling. Starxis was capable of reading her mind, so he had to know what was in store, but she had to wonder if he'd truly be okay with the change in her appearance. After all, the only way he'd known her up until now was as a human.

Starxis looked up at her with inquisitive green eyes, prompting Alexis to tentatively say, "You know that I want to be like your father, right? That I'll look similar to him?"

Starxis gave something like a nod, then responded with, "Still be Mommy?"

Alexis wasn't sure if it was meant to be a question, but she answered as if it was. "Yes," she said warmly, patting his head. "I always will be…"

* * *

The reassignments of both Autobot and Decepticon soldiers was put into effect at roughly seven o'clock that evening. As the troops who'd been stationed here in Ocean City began to be transported to different locales (either here on Earth or in outer space) through the exterior Warp Gate, Alexis and Starxis stood off to the side, both of them seeming to grow more and more anxious by the moment.

She could feel her heart literally skip a beat when Starscream appeared on the platform alongside two other Transformers. It didn't take long for his glowing orange optics to find her soft blue eyes, and when they did, it caused both him and Alexis to smile warmly.

Hot Shot, as the highest ranking officer stationed in this city, had been barking out orders for each and every arriving soldier about where they were required to report to. However, he faltered when faced with a certain red and white jet, then threw a brief glance at Alexis and Starxis before giving a dismissive gesture. "Go on," Hot Shot said encouragingly, proving just how big a pushover he could be when it came to two people in love.

As she and Starscream (and the youngling) began to walk in the direction of the bridge, Alexis found herself briefly wondering just how Hot Shot had come to be aware of the relationship between the two of them. But then, she and Starscream had never been entirely subtle on hiding their feelings for one another; it was likely that half the population of Ocean City was aware of the fact. Nevertheless, she could hear some minor complaints from bystanders about why the jet should get any special treatment, but she didn't wait around to hear Hot Shot's response to this.

Starxis had gotten big enough over the past decade that he could no longer fit inside the jet cockpit that made up part of Starscream's chest. However, the youngling was a fast enough flier that he could keep close pace with the Transformer so long as the latter was flying on low impulse. It didn't take long for the family of three to make their way back to Alexis' cottage, roughly twenty-five miles inland.

Shortly after that, Starscream had seated himself on the ground facing her house, reclining slightly against a large, sturdy oak tree in her front yard. Positioned on his right hand that he had up close to his chest, Alexis snuggled against him with a sigh, feeling a rush of affection. Tilting her head to look up at his face, she said lightly, "I haven't called this place home for very long, but oddly enough, I think I'm going to miss it."

Starscream smiled slightly, keeping his optics fixed on her. "I feel the same way about Earth sometimes." There was a slight pause, then he went on with, responding to her thoughts, "I would love to watch the sunset with you, just the way we are."

Alexis sighed and shifted her weight slightly, throwing a glance at Starxis as the youngling laid down on the ground next to Starscream, his own gaze fixed on the horizon. The next hour was spent in silence for all three of them, as the sun sank ever lower in the sky, soon giving way to a nice blend of blue, orange, red, and dark purple. Alexis had been subjected to this spectacle many times before, but this time, it caused her eyes to well with tears. Perhaps it was because, past today, it was unlikely she'd ever be seeing it in the same way again.

Past sunset, Alexis asked for a little more time in order to pack up all the keepsakes (mostly pictures) from her house that she wanted to hold onto, and to place a call to a friend of hers at Ocean City to bring some food for Starxis over the next few days. Once that was accomplished, she returned to Starscream's side in a nearby clearing, both of them now illuminated by the light of the moon.

Sensing Alexis' last-minute hesitancy as she came to stand before him, Starscream was compelled to say, "It's not too late to back out…"

Alexis bit her lip, but shook off her doubts just by raising her eyes to look at him. Despite the fact that her life as a human would be over, the one that awaited her would undoubtedly hold its own share of wonder and possibilities.

Seeing her resolve in the way she squared her shoulders, Starscream bowed his head slightly, bringing to mind his vision of what she should look like as a newly-born Transformer who'd not yet selected a vehicle mode. Shifting his gaze to look at Starxis, he proceeded to voice the specifically worded desire that he and Alexis had agreed upon some time ago, as any variation could have led to unpredictable results.

"I wish for Alexis to be a Transformer…"

* * *

She hadn't known just what to expect, but later on, she was glad that Starxis made the process as painless as possible. Seconds after the words had left Starscream's lips, the youngling's green eyes began to glow with an iridescent light. As if the image had been pulled from Starscream's head, a life-size replica of Alexis' proposed form appeared between her and the jet.

It took Alexis some time to figure out what Starxis was waiting for, until she took a good look at the mirage and imagined that maybe she didn't want to wind up being the exact same height as Starscream. The hologram reacted accordingly by shrinking a few inches, leading her and the jet to figure that Starxis wanted them to have a clear-cut, agreed-upon vision before it was actually applied.

It took roughly an hour for Alexis and Starscream to mold this mirage just the way they wanted it, though there was some argument on his part when she employed a feature that was unheard of among his kind. Specifically, she wished to have slender metal filaments on her head that bore a resemblance to her current human hairstyle. When it seemed that Alexis was unwilling to yield on this, she and Starscream settled on a compromise where the "hair" would be more cropped.

When she and Starscream announced for Starxis' benefit that they were ready, the hologram moved towards Alexis, soon enveloping her. The resulting change was instantaneous, and Alexis wasn't aware that anything had happened until she looked up and found that she was suddenly close to Starscream's own height.

The sudden change in viewpoint was so disorienting that it caused her to stumble forwards. Starscream was at her side in a split-second, catching her by the elbow with his right hand to hold her steady. Reflexively, Alexis laid both hands against his chest, then looked up at his face as the reality and intimacy of the situation hit her.

Starscream almost didn't dare speak, as if this were nothing more than an illusion and uttering a single word might somehow shatter it. Slowly, he raised his left hand, brushing aside some stray filaments that had fallen across her face. He might have dreamed of this moment, but he had been unprepared for the emotions that seeing her this way would stir up. And, save for the makeshift hair, she hadn't even chosen her own unique form yet!

Though he knew she was hearing his thoughts, Starscream still said aloud, "You… are beautiful…"

Alexis was never sure which of them made the first move, but somehow, their lips did end up meeting each other. Oddly enough, this was her first kiss ever; she'd not even experienced this prior to meeting any of the Transformers. Nothing had ever felt sweeter, and he was being so tender that it would have brought tears to her eyes had she been capable of crying.

_I love you_, she thought, and lost herself completely in his embrace…

* * *

Somewhere in the midst of their kissing and purely innocent touching of each other, Alexis and Starscream had made their way into the barn-like structure located in the back of her property. When Alexis brought her optics (they were a nice shade of blue, according to her companion) online the next morning with a little instruction from Starscream on how to do so, it was to see that they were laying on the ground and he was holding her close to himself, their bodies slightly intertwined.

She wasn't aware of when the youngling had joined them, but Starxis was currently snuggled to the left of the jet cockpit on Starscream's chest. Feeling a wave of affection, Alexis reached out with one metal hand to stroke the little guy's fur. Starxis stirred slightly at her touch, and offered a sleepy smile even as he began softly purring.

After a moment, Alexis looked back at Starscream, marveling over how much brighter and clearer everything seemed now that she was seeing it with a different set of eyes. Softly, she said, "I never asked how your latest stay on Cybertron was."

Starscream sighed, reaching out with one hand to tease her hair; he was now somewhat glad that she'd insisted on this unique feature. "Other than missing you and Starxis every day, I…" He paused, tilting his head to look at her better. Referring to the overall commander of the Autobots, he said, "Optimus had me training some of the new recruits in sword fighting, for the most part."

Laying her head on his chest, she asked, "Anybody showing promise in that area?"

Starscream pulled her slightly closer, brushing his lips against her brow. "There is one -- Ironhide… But I don't know what to make of him yet. He might turn out to be a good fighter, but he seems to be in awful rush to prove himself as such… I couldn't tell you how often I've seen bad endings in store for one with such an attitude." A pause, then, "I can only hope his eagerness doesn't land him in trouble someday."

Alexis gave a slight smile. "Did you run into any of our friends from the old days?" she asked abruptly. After a short pause, she added, "I can never keep track of who's stationed on Cybertron at any given time, other than you."

Starscream laughed briefly, then nodded. "Scavenger's still an instructor at the academy, specializing in hand-to-hand combat. He keeps saying he's going to retire, but I think he enjoys teaching too much to give it up." Starscream paused, his optics slightly glazed as if he was trying to recall who else he'd seen that she would remember. "I did run into our favorite medic, Red Alert, when I went in for a routine maintenance check. Near as I can determine, he's doing well. And… I think that was it." He focused back on her. "I'm not sure where the rest of the old gang are these days."

Alexis hesitated, then propped herself up on her left arm to look at him better. Resting her right hand lightly on his chest, she said, "I know we've talked about this before, but do you think I'd make a good soldier?"

Starscream offered her a warm smile, then raised himself up slightly, positioning both his elbows against the ground to keep himself elevated. Jarred by the movement, Starxis opened his eyes and reflexively jumped down to the ground, where he gave a yawn and pawed at the dirt as a means of stretching. Starscream watched the youngling in adoration for a moment before focusing back on Alexis. "I think you'd make an outstanding one," he replied, recalling the different forms of martial arts she'd been studying over the past decade (she'd even devoted a semester of college to taking classes in this subject).

However, the last thing he wanted at this point was for her to get all gung-ho about starting training as soon as possible. Leaning closer so that his lips were nearly touching hers, he raised one hand to rest against the nape of her neck and whispered, "But for now, I'd prefer to have you all to myself…"

* * *

Had they not received a visitor around noon, Alexis didn't know how long she and Starscream would have remained lost to the joy they felt at being able to hold and kiss each other without restraint. However, when they heard the barn door creak open and a young feminine voice calling out for them, both she and the jet remembered themselves and reluctantly pulled away from each other.

Even as Sally Jones (Kicker's little sister) wandered into view and shortly came to regard them with wide eyes, Alexis could feel her cheeks burning. Under the weight of the ten year old's stare, the newly-born Transformer bowed her head, wearing a silly smile.

Despite her age, Sally was quite the romantic and had always loved the idea of a human and a Transformer having feelings for each other. Yet, this new development had her quite bewildered, as she blinked rapidly before coming to focus on Alexis with a growing realization. Tentatively, she spoke the latter's name in a questioning manner.

Alexis nodded, saying simply, "It's me."

After a slight pause, Sally gave such a loud joyful squeal that it caused both her companions and Starxis to tense slightly. "Oh, my God!" the ten year old gushed out. "I don't believe it! How…?"

Alexis quickly filled the girl in, then cut off the outpouring of emotion that she was sure would have followed before it could begin. "Thanks for coming," Alexis said. "I'm sure Starxis must be hungry by now."

Sally paused as if she wasn't sure what the statement meant, but it seemed to register a couple seconds later. Clearing her throat, she said, "Of course… That's why you asked me to come by." She turned and started to take a few steps towards the barn door, then suddenly stopped and turned back. "Congratulations, Alexis!" she gushed. "This is so great!"

Once the young girl had departed for the main house, Alexis slowly climbed to her feet; Starscream was inspired to do the same. With his arm draped across her shoulders, the two of them walked from the barn, with Starxis close behind him. After some minor prodding from Alexis, the youngling left them temporarily to follow after Sally for his meal.

In the meantime, Alexis had Starscream follow her around to the opposite side of the barn, where she'd had several laminated posters tacked up in preparation for this very day. Each displayed a type of fighter jet that she had thought might be suitable for the vehicle mode she wanted; the one thing they all had in common was the fact that the wings were designed to be set at varying angles (either spread straight out or swept in towards the center of the vehicle).

After some thought, Starscream picked the one he felt was best suited to Alexis' size -- an MiG-27K. When she subsequently told him of the specialized weapon she had in mind to utilize in battle (having gotten the idea in part from the fact that his left wing could be detached and used as a sword), Starscream suggested she arrange to elevate the wings slightly away from her bulk and make it so they would fold in at a sharper angle than the standard model.

Keeping all this in mind, Alexis focused on the poster, prompting her processor to scan the image and allow her body to realign itself to a form best suited to match the vehicle. Simultaneously, she focused on what colors she'd like to be (a nice metallic azure and pale yellow), both of which were emblazoned onto her new armor.

When it was finished, she turned to gaze at Starscream to see him looking over her new form with a soft smile. Her new wings were folded in so they rested nearly parallel with her back, and she too had a cockpit (though less bulky and more slender than his) adorning her chest. "Do you like it?" Alexis asked shyly. Though she could still read his thoughts, she much preferred to hear him say so out loud.

Starscream's smile grew even wider. "You'd look beautiful no matter what you would have chosen," he answered, reaffirming the reason she loved him so very much. Former Decepticon or no, she had never met any Transformer who was more kind or passionate as he was.

Sally and Starxis had come back from the house at this point, and the former continued with her gushing over how great Alexis looked. Had Starxis not raised his head and spoke during a break in Sally's speech ("Go flying now?"), it was undetermined just how long the preteen might have occupied their time.

Sally took that as her cue to depart and reluctantly said goodbye, but Alexis stopped her before she could get too far. "Don't tell anyone at Ocean City about this yet," Alexis said simply. "I'd like it to be a surprise." Sally was quick to agree, then stood and watched for a moment as Alexis and Starscream moved slightly apart from each other to allow room for both of them to transform into their vehicle modes.

Moments later, two fighter jets (one red and white, the other azure and yellow) were soaring through the sky side by side, with one overjoyed furry youngling who was chirping incessantly flying slightly above them. If anyone on the ground happened to be watching this spectacle, they might have wondered at the way the two aircraft were tilted so their undersides were facing each other, so close together they were nearly touching…


	3. Destiny

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Two

Over the next couple days, it was amusing to see Alexis' reactions as she got more and more used to her new form. At various points, Starscream would see her looking at either her hands, legs, or even the pulsing light in her chest (beneath a solid glass enclosure) that functioned as her heart, as if she were seeing each of them for the very first time. More than likely, this was her way of acclimating herself with the gears and circuitry that made up her new body.

Her childlike wonder was a sure sign that she didn't regret her choice, and maybe never would.

About thirty-six hours past her transformation, Alexis nevertheless surprised Starscream when she requested a training session so she could try out her new weapon. When he nodded his agreement, the two of were shortly squaring off in a clearing some distance from her house.

Alexis reached up to grasp her right wing that was stretched out from her frame, willing the weapon to detach from her body. Within moments, she had both interconnected wings standing upright beside her. The angle of them and the rounded arch at the front center point made it look very much like the boomerang-like device that she'd had in mind.

The interesting thing about her specialized weapon was that it could be used for close combat in addition to throwing. There were two niches, part way down the left and right wings, that Alexis could use as handholds so she could wield this device as a sort of quarterstaff as well.

As he approached her, holding his wing sword in a mock defensive way, Starscream had to admit to being impressed with the thought she'd put into this. With the proper training, it was likely she'd make quite the formidable opponent in battle if one ever came about.

Still, it was hard to be serious in a sparring session, even if he was going slow and adopting various attack stances to give her an idea how to counter, when you kept focusing on how attractive your partner was.

Alexis growled softly when she picked up on Starscream's latest thought towards this end. Lowering her weapon, she said, in an equally angry and flirty tone, "Would it kill you to keep your head out of the clouds for more than ten minutes?!"

Starscream gave her a wry smile, dropping his sword to his side and stepping closer. "I can't help myself," he responded in a playful voice. "That's what you get for asking the one who adores you most to train you…" He paused, placing his sword back where it belonged before moving closer and catching her around the waist. "But I will say that you handle yourself pretty well, my little sky dancer."

Alexis blinked, feeling herself grow warm at the unexpected moniker. She didn't know what had inspired Starscream to think it up, but she had to admit that something felt right about it. For a couple seconds, she cast her optics downwards, testing the name in her mind to see how it sounded. _Sky Dancer…_

Starscream laughed, knowing instantly by her tone just where her thoughts were going. He'd told her a long time ago that he was useless when it came to picking a name for someone, but this one, however unintentional, had just seemed to come naturally. And, given the gracefulness she'd displayed in her fighting style (coupled with her vehicle mode), it certainly suited her.

If any doubt had existed in her or Starscream's minds about assuming this moniker, it was laid to rest when the youngling who'd been watching them spoke, causing both his adopted parents to laugh at his candidness.

"Starxis like Sky Dancer…"

* * *

The primary reasons behind the establishment of the Transformer cities on Earth lay on the shoulders of one Kicker Jones (it was a nickname given in response to the type of tantrums he'd thrown as a child, but it fit his hotheaded behavior as a teenager just as well) as much as on those of Alexis and her human friends from a decade prior.

Shortly after Alexis and her friends (Rad, Carlos, Billy, and Fred) had left Earth with the Autobots on their own shuttle bound for Cybertron, e-mails had been sent out to each of their (unsuspecting) parents to provide the location of a highly-advanced technological base utilized by Optimus Prime and his men during their stay on the planet. This was done in an effort to put each family at ease and let them know that their missing children were alright and/or in safe hands.

It had been Billy's parents who had contacted his aunt and uncle (Miranda and Dr. Brian Jones) to have a look at this establishment themselves, setting into motion the groundwork that would forge an alliance between humans and Transformers.

By the time Alexis and her friends were brought back to their native planet, Dr. Jones' (a brilliant scientist to begin with) imagination had been given enough of a workout that he'd requested a meeting between himself and the Autobot leader at the first opportunity. As fate would have it, this led into another set of humans (a number of scientists and a few skeptical army soldiers) being taken to Cybertron, and the Transformers on the metallic planet had gone to great lengths in the interim to establish air processing units all around Cybertron to simulate oxygen and make the air breathable for their next guests.

Since Miranda was pregnant with Sally at the time, she had had no choice but to stay behind, though she did allow her husband to go on this journey, as well as take their five-year-old son along for the "adventure." Though, in retrospect, it probably hadn't been such a good idea to take such an impressionable boy to a world filled with veritable giants. But then, nobody might have anticipated just how Kicker would have reacted.

As Alexis would hear it, the five-year-old Kicker was terrified of both Autobots and Decepticons alike, primarily because of their size. Despite his father's attempts to placate him and assure him that these beings meant no harm, Kicker had developed a habit, during the two-week stay on Cybertron, to run away and find some place to hide. Most times, he would be found easily and returned to his father for a few brief hours before pulling the same stunt again.

Then one day, Kicker had had the misfortune to stumble into a damaged area (a not yet repaired section of the planet that had been ravaged in the final days of the war) of Cybertron. As Optimus was searching for him, the floor beneath the boy had given way, plunging him down into one of the lower chambers. By the time the frantic search party located him roughly an hour later to find him unharmed and tangled in some wires at the ceiling of one massive underground room, the poor boy was near hysterics.

It had taken some time after that incident to believe Kicker hadn't been hallucinating when he'd claimed to have seen some strange light in the otherwise dark chamber and that a soft lilting voice had spoken to him with promises of a great destiny.

Alexis didn't fully understand what had happened to Kicker that day, but it became apparent in the months that followed that the boy had developed some kind of ESP. On the return voyage to Earth, Kicker would become agitated when the shuttle passed by some random planet or other, and was near excitable when he'd viewed his homeworld from space. The five-year-old's incessant proclamations of some abundant energy source hidden deep beneath Earth's surface soon got all bystanders curious enough to want to investigate.

The resulting drilling operation had turned up a glowing yellow stone that was soon to get Optimus, Starscream, and any other present Transformers awfully excited once they identified it. Until that moment, Alexis had never heard of this "mineral" known as Energon, but, as she had learned, it had been thought by her giant friends to have only been indigenous to Cybertron.

To make a long story short, this Energon substance was currently nonexistent on the Transformers' own planet (the supply having been completely exhausted over the centuries) and could be used as a power source and/or valuable commodity for a number of things. Aside from its medicinal qualities (as far as the Transformers went), this substance went a long way when it came to providing power for even the most insignificant electrical device, let alone what it could do for the standard human household.

Thus, the alliance between humans and Cybertronians was fully forged, and the plans for the Transformer cities on Earth were put into production. Thanks to Kicker, the giant alien bots knew just where to place each of their colonies for the mining operations that were due to follow. And not all of them were centered on Earth; there were other such bases located on Mars, the moon, and even in the Asteroid Belt.

As wonderful as this all was, Alexis only wished that it hadn't come at the expense of a young boy's state of mind. If Kicker hadn't liked being near the Transformers on their planet, he was even more disconcerted when they came to live and work on his own. Subsequently, the fear he'd felt as a child developed into anger as he got older. Even at fifteen, it seemed that the one thing that drove him was the desire to escape the "giant metalheads," as Kicker often called them out of spite.

The memories of all this were weighing heavily on Alexis' mind as she and Starscream were flying back to Ocean City, two days following her transformation. They had known that their time together, alone, would be limited, but they had not quite been prepared for when Hot Shot had sent out a radio message requesting that Starscream come back. Even so, Alexis was growing increasingly nervous, the closer they got to their destination.

Tilting slightly on her axis, she sent out a telepathic message to her companion. _How do you think everyone's going to react once they see me?_

Starscream gave a short laugh. _After the initial shock wears off, I imagine they'll come to accept you as one of us._ A short pause, then, _I just hope I don't have to fight anyone for your affections…_

If she'd been in her bot form, Alexis would have smiled at that. _You have nothing to worry about there. My heart belongs only to you._

_I'm sure you mean your spark,_ Starscream responded. Sensing her confusion, he went on with, _Heart is a human term. And it's not what your life source is anymore._ Noticing that she was banking towards him in a playfully angry manner, he moved to avoid her, then laughed at the comment she threw his way.

_Smart aleck…_

The rest of their flight to the city was spent in silence, save for the occasional chirp from Starxis, who was flying slightly above them. As they came in for a landing near the front entrance, Demolisher was the first bot around to greet them.

Though perplexed at seeing that Starscream wasn't alone, the otherwise hard-edged Demolisher nevertheless greeted his friend by knocking fists with him. In the years following Megatron's death and the end of the war, the two bots had rekindled the kinship they'd once felt for each other. "Welcome back, Starscream," Demolisher said amicably. "It's good to see you once more."

"Same here, Demolisher," the red and white jet said in an equally-friendly tone. "How has life on Earth been treating you?"

Demolisher bowed his head, pausing a moment before admitting, "Guard duty has to be the most boring assignment ever… I don't see how I'm going to stand this for another four months."

Starscream offered a slight smile. "Anything's bearable so long as you have someone to talk to… Tell you what -- I'll stop by to keep you company at any opportunity I get."

Demolisher gave a small grin as well. "I'd appreciate that," he responded, then turned to look at the azure and pale yellow jet on the bridge a few yards away that had yet to transform. "So who's your friend…?" he started to say, breaking off when he saw that Starxis was standing near the other vehicle, nuzzling the nose of the plane with his head.

Even as Demolisher started to piece together the inklings of an idea, Starscream stepped towards the other jet, placing one hand gently on the left wing even as he turned to face his friend. "May I introduce the new and improved Alexis," Starscream said in a formal tone. "Or, as we agreed upon last night -- Sky Dancer."

Taking that as her cue, Alexis (Sky Dancer) transformed, and was soon standing shyly before Demolisher in her bot form with both of Starscream's hands resting on her shoulders. For a long moment, it seemed that all the hard-edged bot could do was stare at her in a state of shock, then he took a couple steps forward.

"How…?" Demolisher started to say, only to break off and start again. "This shouldn't be possible."

"Starxis made it possible," Alexis answered, looking down at the youngling that was now cupped within her giant hands. Demolisher had known of the wish for some time, along with most of the Autobots she had befriended as a young girl, but perhaps he had not expected to have seen it utilized in this manner.

After a long while, Demolisher's expression melted from shock into something like jubilation. Like many others, he had known that Alexis and Starscream had had feelings for each other, but he'd never imagined that anything would come of it. How great it was then, that the two of them should be given a real opportunity to be together and to be happy. Relaxing his stance slightly, he said, in an even tone, "Congratulations."

Despite the fact that Starscream and Alexis were causing quite the stir among the population of Ocean City, the news failed to reach Hot Shot and Kicker, who were sequestered within the communications center for a private, heated conversation, by the time the two arrivals found them. Alexis wasn't sure just what Kicker had done now that had Hot Shot so riled, but she did catch something in regards to an excessive amount of graffiti.

Before she could learn more, Starscream knocked at the door even as he opened it to draw attention to himself and Alexis. Still looking quite infuriated, Hot Shot turned in their direction, starting to say something about asking not to be disturbed. However, when he caught sight of Starscream, he broke off and was visibly making an effort to calm down when he caught sight of her.

For a long moment, Hot Shot stood there in silence as he scrutinized Alexis in her new form, though he did warn Kicker to stay put when the rebellious teenager got to his feet. Surprisingly, Kicker did as he was told for a change, though he still looked quite sullen.

Alexis wasn't sure just what clued Hot Shot in, but he did eventually question if it was her. Feeling equally as timid as she had with Demolisher, she nodded, and the subsequent glance that Hot Shot threw at Starxis (perched on Starscream's shoulder) seemed to answer any questions as to how.

While Alexis got the impression that Hot Shot was happy for her and Starscream (if the look in his optics was any indication), Kicker couldn't be counted on to be so obliging. "You have got to be joking!" the hotheaded teenager blurted out, staring at Alexis with wide eyes. The reaction was to be expected, given his dislike of the Transformers, but it still stung. "It's bad enough they've taken over our planet! Why would you want to join these metalheads, Alexis?!"

Hot Shot's optics narrowed, as he shifted his gaze back to the boy at his side. "That's enough, Kicker!" he said sharply. Despite his impetuous nature, Hot Shot was also known for being patient, but it sounded as if he was being sorely tested. "You're already on probation for that stunt you pulled the other day. Don't make it worse!"

Kicker shot a seething expression in Hot Shot's direction, but simply crossed his arms and said, "Whatever… Can I go now?" Scary as it sounded, the teenager's temper and brash attitude almost reminded Alexis of Megatron in a way.

She almost laughed out loud when she heard Starscream's voice in her mind. _Primus forbid_, he said, referring to the overall creator of the Transformers. _The last thing we need is a hormonal teenage version of Megatron…_

Hot Shot sighed. Bowing his head, he said, "Yeah, you're good to go… But watch yourself, Kicker! You step out of line one more time, and being grounded by your mother will be the least of your worries!" Once Kicker had left the room, Hot Shot shook his head and muttered, "I don't know what we're going to do with that kid…"

Alexis took a step towards the commander of Ocean City, drawing his attention. Out of curiosity, she asked, "What exactly did he do?"

Hot Shot sighed again. "Spray-painted a few choice words at various parts of the city. It wouldn't be such a big deal if he hadn't gotten High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock to help him… Up until three months ago, I had thought that those three were too mature to be influenced in this manner. You'd think they were reckless adolescents themselves, the way Kicker's got them behaving now."

Alexis' optics widened, showing her surprise. She, too, had expected more of the three Mini-Cons (diminutive bots that had been created by Unicron as a means of exploiting the war between the Autobots and Decepticons) that she, Rad, and Carlos had befriended when they had been Kicker's age.

Before she could say anything, Hot Shot looked up at her with a smile, seeming to shake off all his worries. "I'm sorry you had to witness this… Allow me to say congratulations, Alexis. Welcome to the team."

Alexis smiled warmly. "Thank you, Hot Shot… And I was hoping you'd contact Optimus on Cybertron," she said shyly. "If he'll let me, I'd like to start training as a soldier."

Hot Shot shifted his weight, looking from Alexis to Starscream and back again. While surprised by the notion that these two would agree to be separated again so soon, he nodded in response to her request. And who knew, she might just be plucky enough to make the grade. "I'll tell him when we send the daily status report tonight." After a few seconds of silence, he turned to look at Starscream, regaining his sense of authority. "In the meantime, Starscream, I'm assigning you to surveillance duty in the command center… You did such a good job last time at keeping the peace between the two factions that…"

Starscream nodded before Hot Shot could even finish the thought. "Eight-hour shift, I imagine?" he said. When Hot Shot confirmed this, the jet went on with, "No problem." _That means I should be able to keep my promise to Demolisher_, he thought, and turned his gaze towards Alexis when she gave a telepathic response.

_Better ask for the early morning shift in that case… That would allow you more time to go visit with him._

Starscream smiled at her, moving a step closer and taking her hand in his. Seeing this, Hot Shot excused them; it was likely he would have blushing at their shows of affection if that had been possible.

Once they were alone in Starscream's quarters and seated side by side on his bunk, the first thing that Alexis asked was, "Would you rather I didn't go to Cybertron now, if Optimus does approve the request?"

Starscream raised one hand to rest on her shoulder. With a deep sigh, he said, "I don't think it would matter if it were now or weeks from now. No matter when it comes about, I think I'd always be reluctant when it comes to letting go of you… But I can't hold you back from what you're meant to be either. That wouldn't be fair." A pause, then, "As you once said, a short separation is nothing compared to the lifetime ahead… You'll make a great warrior, Alexis. I know you'll make me proud."

Alexis gave a faint smile, then turned slightly so she was facing him. She put one hand to the right side of his face, drawing him closer until his lips were touching hers. _Thank you_, she sent out, and felt a rush of love and excitement when she and Starscream repositioned themselves on the bunk, resting side by side…

* * *

Saying goodbye to her loved ones (this was the first time she'd been apart from Starxis in a good long while) wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but it was tempered by the familiar faces awaiting Alexis on Cybertron once she'd passed through the Warp Gate.

Of the four Transformers she'd battled alongside in the early days, it was hard to say who was the most elated to see her again -- Optimus Prime (the stoic, compassionate leader), Scavenger (the easygoing, seasoned vet), Jetfire (the playful optimist), or Red Alert (the technical-savvy medic). As Alexis stepped from the platform, she was greeted with either a hug, handshake, or a cordial smile, depending on who she was faced with.

Once she'd settled in at the barracks (Optimus said she could start her training as soon as she felt ready), Alexis was surprised to receive some human visitors as well -- Rad and Kicker's father, Dr. Jones. Though it did feel a little weird at hearing the latter express an interest in her new physiology (though that was the scientist in him talking), Alexis was put at ease when the former extended his warmest appreciation that things were working out so well for her and Starscream.

There was nothing more heartwarming than hearing her oldest and dearest human friend reaffirm the fact that her happiness meant so much to him.

As she settled in that evening, lying on her side on her new bunk and staring at a picture of herself, Starscream, and Starxis with her home planet in the background (taken on board the Autobot shuttle just after they'd departed Earth ten years ago), Alexis couldn't remember feeling more hopeful about the future…

* * *

As Alexis had anticipated becoming one of the Transformers, she had made arrangements with Miranda Jones, Kicker's mother, to see about selling her cottage in the aftermath. However, Starscream's thoughts on this matter, in the twelve hours following Alexis' departure for Cybertron, had him thinking there would be a greater benefit to holding onto the property.

Thus, he arranged a meeting between himself, Miranda, and Sally the next afternoon. As he expected, telling them his idea (about rebuilding the house to be more suitable for him, Alexis, and Starxis, and constructing a few drones to help with caring and feeding for the latter) convinced the both of them to abandon the previous plans. Past that, it didn't take much for Starscream to get Hot Shot's endorsement on the scheme, leading to the latter to assemble a team of Autobots (and one or two Decepticons) to aid in the construction.

Just as Alexis was settling in on Cybertron and feeling hopeful about the future, Starscream lay in his own bunk in Ocean City and fantasized over how overjoyed the love of his life might be when she returned and saw the finished product…

_Author's Notes: Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Hope you enjoyed this latest installment._

_The next chapter will take place roughly two months after the events depicted here, and will get back into what Sideways and Alpha Q are up to. The latter's attacks against the Transformers and the theft of their Energon will soon commence._

_Some of the elements in store for our favorite couple will involve Alexis being teamed with Ironhide and Kicker upon her return to Earth (mostly in an effort to keep both out of trouble), as well as the development of an unexpected love triangle. I won't say who else develops an attraction to Alexis at this point, but it will make for some interesting reading..._

_Hope to have the next installment out soon._


	4. Tryouts

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Three

_Two Months Later_

As Sideways would find out, it was far easier to leave Alpha Q to his own devices than to devote energy into manipulating him. Still, it had taken some minor nudging to push the spindly bot down the path that Sideways preferred him to go.

Oddly enough, the fact that Alpha Q had tapped into Unicron's powers had aided Sideways in unexpected ways, as it had allowed the pest to see things that were happening light-years away (through the dark god's omniscient abilities). That, coupled with Alpha Q's failure to keep from rambling, had enabled Sideways to learn of the discovery of Energon in Earth's solar system.

All that Sideways had had to do was mention in Alpha Q's presence that using Energon would be a sure way to repair Unicron. Despite the fact that the spindly bot didn't much like him, there were still signs that Sideways' words were weighing on him.

From there, all that was left was to wait for Alpha Q's three most dominant personalities -- Spazz, Brainiac, and Laser Happy -- to take the bait and formulate their own plan on what to do with it. The end result was more than Sideways could have hoped for, and his earlier assessment over Alpha Q's plans for Unicron seemed to be valid given that the spindly bot was nervous about what may happen if Optimus Prime and his Transformers found out that the dark god still existed.

This was one point that Sideways and Alpha Q were in agreement upon, though they would probably never acknowledge it to each other. Odds were great that, if the population of Cybertron discovered that Unicron had come back, every effort would be made to destroy the dark god once and for all.

Still, waiting for Alpha Q to actually make his move and steal a substantial amount of Energon from the Transformers' colonies in Earth's solar system was quite irritating. Near as Sideways could determine, Brainiac was rather insistent that his "companions" hold off their attack until the mineral had been unearthed at all cities. While it made sense to prevent Optimus and his men from going on the defensive or getting organized for as long as possible, Sideways anxiously awaited the moment where the scheme would be put into motion.

Returning to the chamber that he'd come to think of Alpha Q's domain following a one-sided discourse with Megatron, Sideways was thus elated to hear that a plentiful cache of Energon had apparently been uncovered at the colony known as Ocean City. Though this was shortly followed by Spazz bristling over the fact that Sideways was intruding on their conversation, the latter swept it aside by gruffly saying, "Deal with it… You can't get rid of me any more than I have a desire to leave of my own accord."

The oversized cone housed inside Alpha Q's maw swiveled on it's axis, bringing Brainiac's face to the forefront. "Pay no attention to the interloper, my brother," said this facet of the spindly bot's fractured psyche. "Let us not forget that we must plan how we will proceed."

Laser Happy was already speaking even before his head swung into view. "Plan?!" he scoffed. "We need no plan! Our army will seize what we need and be gone before any retaliation can be taken."

Sideways was confused as to what army the guy was referring to when he saw that every inch of the organic lining in Unicron's stomach was coming alive. Before Sideways knew it, Alpha Q had forged perhaps two thousand predatory-looking bots from Unicron's flesh -- an equal amount of metallic raptors as there were jaguars. While sending an army in and hoping for the best didn't seem like the best method to achieve the desired outcome, their numbers and visible laser weaponry just might make up for it.

Even as Spazz gave the order for the predatory bots (Terrorcons, as it seemed they were being called) to head out, Sideways leaned against one wall with a feeling of satisfaction, smiling smugly beneath his faceplate. _At last,_ Sideways thought. _Very soon, both Megatron and I will have the Energon we need to take the first steps towards our comeback_…

* * *

When she wasn't sleeping or engaged in combat training, Alexis took to studying Cybertron's history as a means of distracting herself from how much she missed her loved ones. She didn't know how well this did the trick in the beginning, but eventually, she began to actually get interested in the past of her new home. Of particular interest to her was reading about all the different Autobot and Decepticon commanders down through the ages; there were very few, among the former, who were as compassionate as Optimus, and almost none who were as cold and callous as Megatron had been.

Interestingly enough, there had been a few commanders (of both factions) whose temperament had suggested they'd have been better suited at leading the other team. _Funny_, Alexis had mused at this realization. _Dig down deep enough and you'll find that the Autobots and Decepticons aren't all that different from each other. It's amazing they were at war with one another for so long._

The other thing that had tided Alexis over was the nightly telepathic chats she had come to share with Starscream. Aside from the romantic banter she and her companion passed back and forth, they would tell her that he and Starxis were doing well, even though they both missed her just as much.

The good news was that her training was progressing at an outstanding rate; it had helped to some degree that she had been studying martial arts as a human. Though Optimus and Scavenger (as her primary instructors) didn't say so out loud, she got the sense that they were impressed at how quickly she had learned and had come to wield her close-combat\throwing weapon with such efficiency. In addition to this, she had become quite proficient in the use of laser weaponry, hand-to-hand fighting, and how to deal with moving targets.

Unfortunately, making a good impression only went so far. Though Alexis couldn't totally understand why, her progress seemed to have a negative impact of one of her fellow cadets -- the over-eager trainee named Ironhide that Starscream had mentioned to her. The best she could determine was that he was either jealous of her or he didn't want to admit that a female (though she wasn't sure if her gender had anything to do with it or not) was coming to be better at fighting than he was, in so short a time.

Whatever the reason, Ironhide seemed to become even more dogged on proving himself and\or outdoing her. As Alexis watched this latest training exercise from the sidelines, her quarterstaff\boomerang held loosely at her side, the persistent rookie was blindly rushing at Optimus, striking the Autobot commander with enough force to drive him back a few inches. She could tell by the way that Ironhide's arms wrapped around Optimus' waist that the rookie was hoping to follow it up by throwing his "adversary" to the ground.

In this case, Ironhide's determination was working for him, even though he had no hope of taking his "opponent" down in this manner. Optimus gave a gentle laugh, clearly amazed by the rookie's strength. "Powerful attack, Ironhide," he said, even as he maneuvered his arms to take hold of the younger bot's frame. "But, in the end, leverage matters a whole lot more…" Before the words had even left Optimus' mouth, a well-placed kick had knocked Ironhide off balance, allowing the Autobot commander to effortlessly toss the rookie to the ground several feet away.

In the next instant, Optimus cast his gaze towards Alexis and the other cadets, showing that the words had been meant to instruct them just as much by saying, "Any questions?"

Ironhide, who was already getting back up, drew everyone's attention by saying, "I'd like another try at it, sir."

Optimus laughed again, but the way he relaxed his stance indicated that he may be ready to call it a day; this class had been in session for several hours as it was. "I like you, Ironhide," he said in what was, for him, a rare compliment to extend to a trainee. "You remind me a lot of Hot Shot."

Alexis let out a breath, lifting her wings by one hand and latching them back into place, willing them to fold down against her back; it was a maneuver that had become second nature over the past eight weeks, once she'd practiced at it. Even as she listened to Ironhide's unabashed reaction to the praise, she readied herself for Optimus to tell them they were dismissed.

What caught her off guard was the fact that an alarm sounded from the loudspeakers positioned at the corners of the arena. Startled, Alexis turned to look at the nearest one in a slight daze. She couldn't remember when was the last time she'd heard such an siren that suggested trouble was afoot.

When her gaze returned to Optimus, she saw that he looked equally bewildered and slightly troubled. However, he regained his composure quickly for the benefit of the recruits surrounding him. "Alright, that's enough training for today," he said, despite being somewhat distracted. "We'll pick this up tomorrow." He started to walk away, then stopped and looked towards Alexis as if in afterthought. "Sky Dancer, come with me."

Alexis moved to follow him without question, trying to ignore the fact that her fellow cadets were looking at her strangely; perhaps they were wondering why she, at of all of them, ad been picked from the lineup. Once they'd exited the arena, she said, aware that the alarm was still blaring in the background, "What do you think could be wrong?"

Optimus bowed his head. "I don't know, Alexis," he replied, feeling free to refer to her as such now that they were out of earshot of the others. Seeing as none of the other recruits were aware she'd begun her life as a human, he'd made sure to only address her by her new name in front of them. A pause, then, "I just hope we don't have another like Shockblast on our hands. The last time I heard these alarms, it was because of what he had done."

Alexis shuddered at the mention of the Decepticon criminal, who'd murdered a number of Autobots in cold blood shortly after the end of the war. His actions hadn't been condoned by either faction, and he had been incarcerated here on Cybertron for the past decade after a speedy trial. So lost in these thoughts, she was, that she didn't immediately catch what Optimus said next, leaving him to repeat himself.

"I can't help noticing that Ironhide seems awfully tense around you," Optimus said, in a tone that suggested he wanted to hear her opinion of her fellow recruit. "He'd make a good soldier, but I'd hate to see any personal hang-ups getting in the way of that."

Alexis sighed. Though feeling slightly uncomfortable at being asked to review Ironhide's faults, she nevertheless responded with, "Near as I can tell, he seems to be very competitive, sir."

Her companion chuckled lightly. "You can skip the formalities, Alexis. You're too much a friend to bother with those in my presence, especially when no one else is around."

Alexis smiled, put slightly at ease. "You never seem to mind when Scavenger does likewise, and you've known him much longer," she pointed out.

Optimus shook his head. "I've learned long ago that Scavenger is too set in his ways to make the adjustment, no matter how often I request it," he answered softly. Then, in a more serious tone, he added, "Thank you for your input, Alexis. It reaffirms some things I've been seeing for myself… Perhaps the direction I should take with Ironhide is instilling the importance of teamwork."

When Optimus said nothing further, Alexis felt free to interject her own view. "It seems he would benefit from that," she said, relieved when Optimus nodded in agreement. "Also, I think he may be trying too hard to be the center of attention. It's as if he'd like nothing better than to prove he's superior to all the rest of us, even me."

The Autobot commander looked at her with a thoughtful nod, an amicable light in his golden optics. Alexis offered a small grin in return, appreciative of the fact that Optimus seemed to regard her with an almost fatherly attitude and that he valued her opinion to this extent. "You always seem to have no trouble seeing into the heart of things, Alexis… As I once said, many years ago, I think that you would make a great leader yourself someday," he stated.

"Thanks for the assessment, but I doubt I'd ever be suited for that role," she responded.

Optimus stopped in his tracks, forcing her to halt and turn to look at him in curiosity. After a moment of appearing lost in thought, he shook his head to clear it and focused back on her. "Sorry. You just caught me off guard," he said, hesitating for a second or two more before going on. "I remember saying something similar, back when I was first asked to lead… Don't sell yourself short, Alexis. Your intuition, empathy, and bargaining skills that you've demonstrated over the years are the very basis you'd need. Given time and experience, you just might find yourself, as humans say, filling those very shoes."

Alexis nodded after a few seconds, and the two of them resumed walking towards the command center where the alarms were originating from. After another second or two, she raised her head and asked, "What about Starscream? He's been at this longer than I have… Have you thought about asking him if he'd like to be promoted?"

Optimus sighed, bowing his head even as he and Alexis began to ascend the steps in front of the desired building. "To be honest, I was never entirely sure it was something he wanted… He had every chance to assume command of the Decepticons after Megatron's death, regardless of how much he had come to be affiliated with the Autobots in the weeks preceding it. And yet, he was willing to cede it to Demolisher provided the latter wanted it for himself." A pause, then, "I may be wrong, but the only way to know for sure is to ask Starscream himself."

Alexis cast her optics downward, taking this into consideration before musing that she might just do what Optimus was suggesting, the next time she and Starscream were face to face.

Nothing further was said until she and Optimus had strolled into the main hub of the command center, and the latter was quick to ask for a status report. At the sound of Optimus' voice, Rad and Dr. Jones turned away from the console they'd been studying, tilting their heads to look up at the Autobot leader.

"Bad news, Optimus," Rad said, throwing a brief glance Alexis' way. "We had a gang of unknown bots attack our base in the Asteroid Belt, about fifteen minutes ago. While we were waiting for you, a larger force of them just descended on Mars."

With a few keystrokes, Rad had the images of the two bases (each having been monitored by the specially-built satellites orbiting them) displayed on the giant viewscreen set in the floor. Alexis viewed them with a sinking feeling; she could only imagine what Optimus' reaction to this sight was. The Asteroid Belt colony was now nothing more than a smoldering wreck, with no apparent hint of survivors; the base on Mars was under siege by a number of animal-like bots.

Before either she or Optimus could say anything, the sound of Carlos' frantic voice came through the speakers on the control panel. Alexis' other childhood friend had come to be living and working on a space station above the red planet, but his words suggested he wasn't in any danger from the attacking bots. Aside from giving a play-by-play of the situation on Mars, Carlos said, "Some of them are breaking away from the battle and meeting up with even more of these things in space… It looks like the new swarm may be heading towards Earth!"

Optimus only hesitated for the briefest of moments before turning towards Rad. "Send out an alert to all Transformers in the immediate area that they need to mobilize at the Warp Gate!" the Autobot commander ordered. "Once I arrive there, I'll divide them into separate task forces and send them to each of our bases on Earth." He turned and was starting to walk from the room when his gaze locked with Alexis' optics. He looked so flustered that she wondered if he'd forgotten that she was there.

After a couple seconds, Optimus turned back to look at Rad. "Contact Ironhide at the barracks while you're at it, and tell him to meet me there as well," he added, much to Alexis' surprise. "I think now would be a good time to subject the most promising recruits to a real battle." He gazed at Alexis once more and bade her to come with him also…

* * *

Following a broadcast from Rad to explain the situation, Hot Shot issued the order to raise Ocean City to the surface and send a small force to the exterior Warp Gate to welcome Optimus and whichever troops he brought with him. Just as Hot Shot was heading up himself, he was surprised to receive a verbal beating from a certain hotheaded teenager who had seemed to appear from nowhere and was hurrying to keep pace with him.

In response to Kicker's demand that the city be submerged once more, Hot Shot, his patience being tested, said, "No can do, kid! We're expecting some arrivals from Cybertron…"

Kicker scowled, but proved he would not be deterred. And, given his next few statements, there just might be a valid reason for it. "Well, you're going to have to tell them to hold off! We're under attack!"

Hot Shot hesitated, caught off guard by the amount of vehemence in Kicker's tone. Even that short silence proved to be weighing heavily on the reckless teenager; before Hot Shot knew it, an exasperated growl had sounded from between Kicker's lips, and the kid had taken off in the direction of the main entrance at a run.

By the time Hot Shot caught up to him on the bridge outside Ocean City (Kicker had roped High Wire along the way _and_ somehow gotten past Demolisher at the front gate), the teenager surprised him again by bringing the gray motorbike (High Wire in vehicle mode) to a halt. As Hot Shot braked and reverted to his bot mode, Kicker had his gaze intently fixed on the sky.

For an instant, Hot Shot just looked around, but couldn't see any sign that the city was in danger as Kicker claimed. Feeling a little irritated, he looked towards the teenager, prepared to speak when Kicker suddenly raised his arm and pointed to a very specific spot. "There… Fire right there, Hot Shot."

After some argument on this point, as Hot Shot couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, he grudgingly did as requested. As expected, the red laser beam soared through the air, but disappeared in the distance with no evidence that it had struck anything.

With a look of fury in his brown eyes, Kicker turned his gaze briefly towards Hot Shot. "Could you have any more of a lousy aim?! You missed it!"

Hot Shot was ready to give an angry retort when he saw something (no, two somethings) come into view, silhouetted against the blue sky as two barely-visible black dots. Even as he asked aloud just what those things were, there were even more of them appearing alongside the first pair.

Everything that followed happened so quickly that Hot Shot could barely keep up with it. Aware that he was being shot at by the encroaching army of predatory bots, he raised his gun and returned fire, simultaneously moving behind a pylon on the bridge for cover. After warning Kicker to get out of harm's way, Hot Shot activated his comlink, first sending a broad message to all Transformers in Ocean City to prepare for battle. Once that was accomplished, he switched the frequency to transmit to Starscream and the bots positioned on the mainland to call them back from their construction project.

Hot Shot was vaguely aware that Kicker was saying that some of the invading bots seemed to be transporting a small amount of Energon (which would explain how the latter had sensed them coming) before the teenager gunned High Wire's engine and took off further down the bridge. Hot Shot didn't know whether Kicker was trying to get out of range of the laser blasts or was taking advantage of the situation to pull off an escape attempt, but he was quick to yell out for the kid to stop and come back.

Things were made worse by both the fact that Kicker didn't listen and that a group of the attacking raptor and jaguar bots broke away from the main force to follow the hotheaded teenager. Hot Shot moved to pursue the boy to help him, but was deterred by the fact that he was being heavily fired upon. Unable to move very far, he focused back on his attackers and resumed blasting away at them.

Without Hot Shot to back him, Kicker was soon to find himself overwhelmed when a number of the predatory bots swooped in for a landing on the bridge, circling him in an undoubtedly threatening manner. _Impossible_, he thought. _What would they be after me for?!_ A quick glance over his shoulder showed Kicker that the main force was laying siege to the city, and he feared for his mother and sister.

As Hot Shot had speculated, Kicker had been attempting to escape from Ocean City while he could, unmindful of the consequences until this moment. He'd not given any thought to his family or the other people living and working there, he'd been so caught up in his own goals.

In the next instant, even the thoughts of this were lost, as Kicker turned to see one of the metallic jaguars leaping towards him. Fearful of what the beast was going to do, he shut his eyes, almost expecting to be ripped to pieces by those steel claws and teeth.

Had Kicker been watching, he would have seen the jaguar be speared through by a laser blast that had descended from the sky, just a split-second before it reached him. However, once it registered that he was okay, he opened his eyes, gazing around at the other predators as they too were fired upon.

Turning his gaze skyward, Kicker was surprised to see two aerial Transformers (in vehicle mode) descending towards his location. If he hadn't been familiar with them, he might have found it strange to see a space shuttle and a MiG fighter jet coming to his rescue. Before he could even think about making a run for it, Jetfire and Alexis had converted to their robot modes and were standing either in front or behind him so closely and protectively that he didn't stand a chance at getting away.

In answer to the worried tone that sounded through her comlink, Alexis raised one arm and responded, "He's okay, Optimus. We got to him in time." Aware that Jetfire was providing sufficient cover, she dropped to her knees, gazing at Kicker with sympathy and seeming as if she was reading his mind by saying, "It's going to be alright… We're not going to let them hurt anyone inside the city."

Had he not been concerned over the fact that a second wave (and then a third, once the previous group had been dispatched) of the predatory bots seemed to be coming for him, Kicker might have made an effort to ditch the two Transformers who were protecting him. As it was, his fear was overriding his hatred of the "giant metalheads" to the extent that he had no problem staying put for a change.

When it appeared that no more of the invading bots were being dispatched from the primary group, Jetfire turned towards Alexis and said, "I'm going in to help defend the city. Will you be okay on your own?"

Alexis nodded, shifting her gaze when she noticed that Ironhide was coming their way. Perhaps Optimus had anticipated her being left alone and had ordered her fellow recruit to back her up in case she needed it.

However, Ironhide proved to be unhappy with this development and had no problem making it known once Jetfire had left them. His incessant complaining about being excluded from the fight struck a nerve with Alexis; despite her better judgment, she was soon baited into barking at him, "Can it, Ironhide! There's more to being a soldier than just engaging in battle with the enemy!"

Slightly distracted by Ironhide's angry retort, Alexis had barely registered the sound of an engine being revved behind her. Once it sunk in, she turned in a panic to see that Kicker was taking off once more. Quickly, she appealed to the Mini-Con that made up the motorbike to stop (and was stung by the indication that High Wire seemingly wasn't interested in obeying her), then moved to pursue the teenager, transforming as she went.

So preoccupied she was, that Alexis failed to notice that a good-sized group of the invading bots had abandoned their siege of Ocean City and were coming after Kicker in a greater force. By the time she registered this, it was too late; she was being fired upon by a number of the raptors and taking some bad (but not overly life-threatening) hits.

Ironhide had converted to his own vehicle mode (an off-road jeep with a cannon-mount on top of the cab) and was in pursuit, though he seemed more interested in blasting away at the enemy than actually covering her. Disappointed in her fellow rookie, Alexis switched to her bot mode, feeling she'd be better able to defend herself in this form.

She had just started to make some headway, utilizing every weapon at her disposal, when the sound of an explosion reached her from the ground below. Turning her gaze downwards allowed her to see that one of the raptors had seemingly gotten too close to Ironhide's cannon prior to being fired at; as a result, the over-sized metallic falcon had detonated under the force of the blast.

Even worse, Kicker seemed to have jumped on board Ironhide's cab (she didn't know when, how, or why the hotheaded teenager had decided to abandon his escape plans and join in on the battle) and was currently being thrown away from her fellow cadet by the resulting shockwave.

Time seemed to slow down as Alexis was overcome by fear over Kicker's well-being, and she couldn't seem to focus on anything but the teenager in peril. She was too far away to reach him before he hit the ground; at that speed and angle of descent, he'd be lucky if he didn't break his neck upon impact. And, if Kicker did survive the fall, there was a chance that Ironhide might not be able to avoid hitting him. And that wasn't even taking into consideration the raptor and jaguar bots that were closing in at the same instant.

At the instant she saw a flash of brown fur dart through her narrow field of vision (and Kicker subsequently vanished from sight), Alexis let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. In the next second, she heard a familiar rasping voice sound in her head, sending a shiver down her spine. _Looks like Starxis and I got here just in time…_

Fighting to keep a level head and from forgetting that she was in the middle of a battle, Alexis returned her focus to the hostile bots surrounding her. Odds were, that if even so much as looked at Starscream at this point, she'd be in danger of losing herself to her own emotions. Still, she was reassured by the fact that her loved ones were in the vicinity and helping in their own way; it made her feel more secure.

The battle was over not long after that; any of the predatory bots that hadn't been taken out were retreating within the next five minutes. Whatever the reason they'd had for repeatedly going after Kicker, it seemed to have been abandoned now that they'd gotten what they'd come for. Which, according to the reports coming in from the city, was a hefty amount of the Energon that had been unearthed down in the mines.

Turning her gaze from the invading bots as they began to disappear from the stratosphere, Alexis saw that Optimus was coming towards her and Ironhide. Her gaze was briefly drawn to the ground as Starxis drifted in for a landing to deposit Kicker on the bridge a few feet away.

Seconds later, the youngling was snuggled (chirping contentedly) in her outstretched, cupped hands, gazing up at her with affectionate green eyes. Alexis smiled down at the little guy, and gave a soft sigh when she felt Starscream's arm snake across her shoulders. _Welcome home,_ his voice resonated through her head. _It's good to have you back, Alexis._

From what Optimus had to say, Alexis gathered that he had been watching her, Ironhide, and Kicker in action the whole time. Though he did cast a solemn gaze her way, it was nothing compared to the looks he gave the other two. To Kicker, he said, "May I ask what you were thinking when you decided to jump into the fray?"

Kicker shrugged in an infuriatingly cavalier manner. "What, I'm not allowed to take measures to defend myself?"

Ironhide (in bot mode once more) leaned slightly towards the hotheaded teenager in a somewhat menacing manner. "If there are any dents on my cannon from when you kicked it towards the enemy bots, you're asking for it, kid!" he said heatedly.

Alexis recoiled slightly, thinking, _That was so the wrong thing to say…_

Optimus' optics narrowed as his gaze turned towards the rookie. As he and Alexis had determined earlier, Ironhide displayed a problem when it came to teamwork, but he'd not imagined that there would also be a lack of respect for innocent lives. For a moment, he said nothing, then surprised both trainees and the teenager by stating, "If that's the way you feel, Ironhide, then perhaps I have no choice but to order you to take on Sky Dancer and Kicker as your full-time partners when in battle."

Alexis, Ironhide, and Kicker all looked towards Optimus with varying degrees of bewilderment, each of them blinking furiously. While the other two were in protest of this (which the Autobot leader countered by saying that any argument would result in both of them being sent back to Cybertron), Alexis settled deeper into Starscream's embrace, resigning herself to the conditions.

_Let the fun begin_, she thought cynically, silently groaning over the prospect of having to "baby-sit" two undisciplined youngsters…


	5. Homecoming

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Four

Much as Starscream would have loved to take Alexis back to their new home to see her reaction, the fact that she had taken some minor damage during the fight demanded that she be escorted to the med-bay in Ocean City so Red Alert could have a look at her. Nevertheless, he and Starxis never left her side, and Alexis was quite comforted by the fact that she could hear Starscream's thoughts the whole time.

Currently, Alexis was laid out on her stomach, doing her best to stay still as instructed, on one of the metal slabs, her head angled so she could focus on Starscream (seated in a chair beside the table) and her left arm stretched out so they could hold hands. Her jet wings had been detached and set aside for the time being to better allow the medic to repair the dents and/or scorch marks lining her back. She wasn't overly familiar with the medical tools that Red Alert was using to work on her, but she decided that so long as she got fixed that it didn't matter.

Unaware that Starscream was masking his thoughts so she wouldn't learn about the surprise he had in store for her, Alexis smiled warmly at him and mused, _It feels weird to be undergoing medical treatment when you're essentially naked…_

Starscream really had to fight to keep from laughing out loud at that one. It was very amusing to hear her reflecting on the differences between humans and Transformers. Reaching out with his free hand to stroke the russet-colored metal filaments at her head, he responded with, _You're not exactly naked, Alexis, given you're now among a race that has no need for clothes. And there's no reason to feel threatened. Red Alert's notorious for being strictly professional._

Alexis chuckled very softly, drawing a brief curious stare from the medic. _I'm glad you're here. Aside from making this easier…_ She paused, feeling an unexpected touch of melancholy. _I've missed you and Starxis so much! Until I saw the two of you, it didn't hit me as to how lonely I've been the past two months._

Starscream tilted his head to one side, a flash of sadness appearing in his own optics. Gently, he raised her hand to his lips, planting a kiss against her metallic skin. _I've missed you too. Provided you're being here is only temporary, it's going to hard to say goodbye once more._

Alexis gave a very light sigh, then responded with, _Somehow, I doubt that Optimus would have assigned Ironhide and I to work as a team, along with Kicker, if we weren't staying on Earth. But I guess we'll see what happens at the briefing._

Starscream nodded, bringing to mind the fact that Optimus and Hot Shot (and any concerned humans) were currently reviewing the data gathered from the attacks. Before he could say anything, telepathic or otherwise, Red Alert cleared his throat to grab the attention of the two jets.

"You're good to go," Red Alert stated once Starscream and Alexis turned to look at him. "However, your wings also need a little work, so if you wouldn't mind leaving them here temporarily, I can get to them after I'm done with the other patients."

Having maneuvered into a sitting position during the medic's speech, Alexis nodded, sparing a glance towards the other occupants in the med-bay. Demolisher was the only one she recognized, sporting what looked like bite marks on the side of his face. Near as she could tell, all the injuries sustained seemed to be minor and could be fixed in no time if her own case was any indication. "That'd be fine, Red Alert," she responded, hopping off the table and letting Starscream escort her from the room, his arm wrapped tightly around her.

As soon as they were out in the corridor, Alexis surprised her companion by softly saying, "I'm sorry to have to say this right now, but I need to talk to Optimus… After that, I'm all yours." She reached up to touch his face, instantly knowing by his conceding smile that he was in agreement. After a few seconds, she added, "So, you were watching me in action for several minutes. What did you think?"

Starscream gave her a warm smile, though his words suggested he was offering an impartial view. "You did fine," he said evenly. "Other than freezing up when Kicker's life was on the line and seeming to grow tense when you realized Starxis and I were there, that is." He paused, then added, "For the most part, emotions have no place on the battlefield, especially if they end up putting you and those around you in jeopardy. You'd do well to learn how to distance yourself from them."

Alexis looked downwards briefly, appreciating the affirmation of conclusions she'd drawn on her own, even though it was probably cheapened by the fact that he could read her mind. In answer to this, Starscream stopped in his tracks, turning her so she was facing him and tilting her head upwards with one finger placed underneath her chin so their optics met. "Even if I couldn't hear your thoughts, I would still be saying this," he stated. "It just might save your life, or someone else's, one day."

When Alexis nodded her agreement, she and Starscream were shortly continuing on their way to the command center. Once there, he tentatively knocked, then opened the door to let himself and Alexis inside once Optimus called for them to do so.

The Autobot leader seemed to relax a little when he saw Alexis, and he proved to have no problem when it came to guessing why she had sought him out. Turning away from the console and leaning against it with his arms crossed in a peaceful manner, Optimus said, sounding slightly guilty, "I hope you realize why I had to issue that mandate the way I did."

Guessing that he was having second thoughts about having laid this responsibility on her shoulders, Alexis bowed her head slightly, the light in her powder blue optics displaying her understanding. "I do," she said in a serene tone. "And I'm okay with it, don't worry about that." She looked back up, earning a laugh from each of the bots around her with her next statement. "If I can single-handedly coerce a ruthless dictator into a peace treaty, then handling two unruly young men should be a cakewalk, right?"

When none of her companions said anything by way of an answer, Alexis felt free to go on with, "It's as you said, Optimus. Ironhide needs to learn how to be a team player. And Kicker… Well, maybe this is just the thing he needs to grow up and to diminish his hatred of us, because Primus knows that having us reprimand that boy for his acts is leading nowhere. We just need to make him understand that we're not his enemy and that we only have his best interests at heart." She hesitated just long enough to look at the impetuous bot seated to Optimus' right. "And no offense, Hot Shot, but intimidation is not going to work in this case."

Hot Shot felt somewhat awkward even as he weakly responded, "I didn't threaten him that much…"

Alexis knew that wasn't entirely true, having witnessed Kicker's escape attempt of two months ago. But she wasn't about to announce in front of Optimus that Hot Shot had aimed a laser rifle at the kid in an effort to get him back in line. Clearing her throat, she set about changing the subject by saying, "I'm also concerned by the actions of the bots that attacked us this afternoon… They seemed to be making every effort to go after Kicker…"

Optimus' optics narrowed slightly. "I noticed that as well," he said thoughtfully, in a low tone. "And given that their primary goal was to steal from our Energon deposits… I'd have to wonder if the instigator knows that Kicker has the ability to detect this energy source." He paused momentarily. "Which might suggest that whoever's behind this is going to try again." He looked up at Alexis. "All the more reason for him to have a set of guardians to keep him safe… In the case that Ironhide can't be counted upon, I hope you're up to that challenge, Alexis."

"I am," she answered, putting the commander at ease. Before she could say anything more, Hot Shot drew her attention by clearing his throat.

"Maybe you could also ask Kicker about something for me, Alexis," the impetuous bot said. "Aside from being aware that these things were coming straight to Ocean City, he also seemed to know in advance that they were dangerous. I'd like to know how, and I kind of doubt he'd tell me."

Alexis smiled. "I'll do that," she promised. In the next instant, she was taking a step towards the console, a look of curiosity washing over her face. "In the meantime, what have we learned so far?"

At Optimus' order, Hot Shot arranged for one video feed after another to be put up on the main monitor. Even as Alexis and Starscream viewed the documents of the attacks, they were provided a commentary by their impetuous friend. "There's evidence that some sort of portal was opened up in the vicinity of the Asteroid Belt, and then another appeared some distance away from Mars. That's where these things came from."

Hot Shot turned to face Alexis and Starscream, allowing the feed of the attack on the asteroid base to run unedited. "Tidal Wave had been assigned to guard the first colony that was hit; he was just days away from being relocated," Hot Shot said, referring to one of the biggest Transformers in existence. A Decepticon formerly under Megatron's direct command, Tidal Wave was three times as large as many of his fellow soldiers and had the distinction of not being very bright. "Despite the amount of firepower he has at his disposal, he couldn't hold up under their numbers."

Starscream let go of Alexis and stepped towards the screen, seeming to be in shock. He and Tidal Wave rarely socialized, but there was enough of a rapport between them to warrant this reaction. "They killed him, didn't they?" he asked softly, and recoiled when Hot Shot shook his head; perhaps Starscream hadn't held out much hope that there would have been any survivors.

With a few keystrokes, the image on the main screen was altered to display a close-up of Tidal Wave in the aftermath of the battle. The colossal Transformer looked to have sustained some heavy damage, judging by the cracks in his armor, but the fact that his optics were dimly lit (suggesting he was on the edge of consciousness) showed he still lived.

Just as Starscream was about to ask if anyone had been dispatched to help Tidal Wave and any other potential survivors, he saw something odd occurring. A number of the raptors and jaguars came to rest on Tidal Wave's massive frame; the falcons soon lifted the colossal bot off the ground through sheer effort, their talons undoubtedly hooked into his chassis.

Alexis looked towards Hot Shot, feeling a chill. "What is this?" she asked, echoing the thoughts in her beloved's mind. "Where are they taking him?"

Hot Shot looked back at her with a solemn expression. "I don't know. They all disappeared from sight roughly five minutes later as the satellites were tracking them. My guess is they used another of those thresholds to return to their place of origin." His gaze moved on to the jet beside her. "I'm sorry, Starscream… For all intents and purposes, Tidal Wave is gone."

Starscream remained silent for a long while, then looked up, seeming to get ahold of himself. "I don't believe that… They wouldn't go to the trouble of taking Tidal Wave if their intention was to kill him. Which means they must want something from him." He gave a sigh. "If these attacks persist, it may give us an opportunity to locate our missing comrade. Make sure you let Demolisher know that when you relay this to him… With that said…" He turned to look at Optimus. "Permission to be dismissed, sir?"

Optimus sighed, throwing a brief glance towards Alexis before focusing fully on Starscream. Hot Shot had made him aware of the construction project in passing, and he had no doubt as to what Starscream was hoping for. "Agreed," he said. "But, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'd like the both of you back here first thing in the morning… And don't worry about the surveillance detail you've been assigned, Starscream. You're officially relieved until further notice."

"Thank you, sir," Starscream replied, and moved to escort Alexis from the room. From there, they returned briefly to the med-bay, where they milled around until her wings had been patched up and given back to her.

If Alexis hadn't gotten the impression over the past several hours that Starscream was hiding something, then his sudden proclamation that they take to the skies and that he had a surprise for her was a sure way to clue her in. Nevertheless, he refused to give her any hint, subtle or otherwise, while they were en route, much to her chagrin.

Even viewing the oversized house (in place of where her cottage had once been) from the air would have been enough to reduce her to tears, once it registered what she was looking at. Struck speechless, Alexis soared towards the ground as closely as she dared before converting to her bot mode to complete the landing. Slowly, she drifted down to the Earth, her optics locked on the structure all the while, before lifting both hands, held as in in prayer, up in front of her face.

Starscream was asking if she liked it and saying that Miranda and Sally had collaborated in the design, but Alexis was so lost in an emotional onslaught that she was barely aware that he was speaking to her. Her optics roved over every inch of the steel and concrete art-deco property built specifically for their convenience. She delighted in everything, from the open kitchenette surrounded by solid, curved panes of glass on three sides, to the second story balcony with the jumbo futon positioned in the center.

Feeling a rush of love, Alexis turned towards Starscream, startling him slightly by leaping at him with a cry, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "This is beautiful!" she said in an overly joyful tone, pulling away after a few seconds to gaze at him. "I can't believe you did this! It… It's so perfect." A warm look came to her optics, bringing a smile to his face. "Thank you," Alexis said softly. "This is like a dream come true."

Starscream drew her towards him so her lips were touching his. Had Starxis not cut in with a comment about being hungry, he didn't know how long this kiss might have lasted.

With a small laugh, Starscream pulled away from her, shifting his gaze to the youngling perched on his shoulder. Though he (and Starxis) knew that the drones lying dormant in the kitchen had been programmed to obey commands that came from any one of their three masters, it seemed that the little guy was just impish enough to ignore this fact. Or perhaps Starxis was just eager to see his mother's reaction to the mechanical helpers.

In either case, Starscream guided Alexis inside with a cordial smile to continue with the tour of their new home. The interior was just as fantastic, even if a little sparse in terms of furnishings and personal belongings. Everywhere she looked, she saw furniture (constructed of both wood and steel) and electronic equipment built in accordance with her and Starscream's heights; it made her regard her companion with a questioning look.

With a gentle smile, Starscream said, "The team that Hot Shot assembled for me helped to build everything you're seeing here. The only thing that didn't get done were a few of the upstairs rooms -- we were getting ready to paint when the message came in from Ocean City."

Alexis softly laughed at the mental image of Starscream in a paint smock with a roller in his hand, even as she extended her palm over one of the drones on the island counter between her and her companion. He had to laugh as well upon picking the thought from her mind, the picture was so silly.

Stepping around the counter and shimmying closer to him, she said, "Everything's wonderful as is, Starscream. All that means is that we get to finish our dream home together." Alexis flung her arms around his neck, lovingly stroking the back of his head with one hand. "Now, how about you let me show you just how thankful I am?"

Starscream grinned, his mind adrift with all the implications her words suggested. Raising one hand to touch her lips, he answered mischievously, "Since you put it that way, then maybe you'd be interested in exploring some more personal activities…"


	6. Redrawing the Lines

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Five

The decision to evacuate the mortal inhabitants from each and every colony was not an easy one to reach. While Optimus was satisfied that none of the humans in Ocean City had been harmed during the attack, it bothered him that the two other colonies to be assaulted had been razed to the ground and the population of each had suffered some heavy casualties. It was nothing short of a miracle that Ocean City hadn't been likewise devastated; for the most part, it hadn't been much better defended than the other two.

Strange as it seemed, there appeared to have been a change in tactics agreed upon amongst the invading bots somewhere between Mars and Earth.

Following the 6 PM review of the attacks that had taken place that afternoon, Optimus turned towards everyone who was assembled in the conference room, dividing his attention between his men and the human inhabitants. "Unfortunately, we have no reason to believe that the assaults are going to stop at what you've all just seen," he announced. "We don't yet know what these new bots are or what they hope to gain, but it's my firm belief that we Transformers can't guarantee the safety of any human colonists should this happen again."

Optimus paused briefly, then continued with a sigh, "Until further notice, I'm calling for an evacuation. I'll leave it to each and every one of you if you'd like to vacate to elsewhere on Earth or to Cybertron."

Optimus had expected this to get a rise out of a certain reckless boy, but he was still surprised when the protest came. "You can't be serious!" Kicker blurted out, getting to his feet despite his mother's urging for him to settle down. In all likelihood, the fact that his father was stationed on Cybertron almost guaranteed that the rest of the family would be journeying there, which might be why Kicker was so riled. "You can't force us to leave our own planet!"

Optimus quietly told the humans they were dismissed, though he did request for the three members of the Jones family to stay for the time being. "This is not the time or place for an argument, Kicker," the Autobot commander said sternly. "We are merely trying to do what's best for all involved parties…"

Kicker refused to be deterred from squabbling, as evidenced when he turned to look at his Mom and sister. "You can't agree to these terms," he said brashly, and completely stepped out of line with his next statement. "Earth is our rightful home, and the Transformers are going to take it away from us if we let them!"

Optimus' optics narrowed, and he took a step forward, feeling this had gone far enough even as he reached towards Kicker. Thankfully, the boy's mother remained silent as the Autobot leader lifted her son away from the balcony seating area, the back of Kicker's shirt pinched firmly between his enormous fingers.

Ignoring the squawks of protest coming from the latter, Optimus focused on Miranda and Sally. "I hesitate to ask this, but I'd like to request that Kicker stay here with us," he said, surprising both of them. Since Optimus had no wish to alarm them by revealing the attempted kidnapping of their son/brother, he invented a false excuse. "We cannot allow our mining operations for the Energon to be put on hold, and it would help to have someone around who can detect it."

Miranda took a few seconds to absorb this, then gave a solemn nod. "I doubt I can get my son to agree to leave here without a big fuss," she said with a deep sigh, a touch of sadness in her eyes.

Optimus offered an appreciative nod, then lifted the struggling teenager into view of his optics. "As for you," he said in a strict tone, keeping with the ruse, "any failure to adhere to our rules **will **guarantee that you be sent to Cybertron to be with your family."

Kicker yelled out something about how Optimus had no right to make him leave Earth, proving he hadn't exactly been listening to the short conversation between the commander and his mother. These words, however, did seem to register after a moment, as the teenager ceased his struggling and turned his head to regard Optimus with wide eyes.

"What did you say?" Kicker asked, sounding so bewildered that it earned a laugh from everyone in earshot…

* * *

As Optimus had requested, Starscream and Alexis were on their way back to Ocean City at daybreak, with their "child" in tow. Starxis was still at that stage where he didn't want to be without either his mother or father at all times, but they hoped that he might be outgrowing this soon. After all, if these battles against the predatory bots, and whomever was orchestrating them, were going to continue, then sooner or later, it would be too dangerous to have the youngling caught in the middle.

One of the last sights that Alexis had expected to see, as she and Starscream made their final approach, was a line of cars on the bridge leading away from the colony. If she was counting right, it looked as if each and every human in Ocean City was leaving.

Her questioning of Demolisher at the front entrance revealed that an evacuation had been put into effect until further notice. In the next instant, the hard-edged bot was announcing to Starscream that Optimus had requested to meet with him, alone, as soon as he arrived.

Left to her own devices, Alexis chose to wander around the city to see if she could find her new partners. She hadn't gone far when she spotted Ironhide and Kicker milling around the giant dome on the second level. Even as she approached them, she spared a glance at the glass bubble-like structure to her left and recalled the times she had viewed the marine life from this very window, when the city had been submerged.

Paying scant attention to Ironhide's grumblings over being assigned as a baby-sitter, Alexis focused on Kicker, whose full attention seemed to be on a handheld communicator in his palm. After a second, she stopped to listen, catching the sound of a familiar feminine voice though she couldn't see the picture on the device's monitor.

Alexis hadn't had very many dealings with Misha, the one that Kicker was communicating with, but she knew enough of the girl's background to recognize that Misha was quite ambitious for being only sixteen, despite her timidity.

Though Alexis knew that Misha was an orphan, she had never found out what had happened to the girl's parents. For the most part, Misha had been raised, collectively, by the human inhabitants in another Transformer-constructed colony -- Desert City. (Alexis grimaced every time she reflected on how unimaginative the monikers given to all of Earth's newest cities were.) Even at age nine, Misha had known she wanted to be a scientist herself when she grew up; the reason that she and Kicker were even acquainted was due in part to her being a great admirer of his father.

Alexis gathered by listening that Misha had elected to stay in Desert City, along with a select few other human scientists. She couldn't begin to guess at Misha's reasoning, nor did she catch what it was, but Alexis' attention was drawn by the fact that Kicker was arguing the point. The newly-born Transformer was startled to hear something like concern in his voice; she was not used to Kicker showing regard for anyone else's feelings or well-being.

Alexis threw a glance towards Ironhide, noting that her fellow recruit was off on some tangent having to do with "unfair treatment" before focusing back on Kicker. The teenager was folding the communicator closed with a sigh, indicating that Misha had ended the conversation, leaving no doubt that she would be changing her mind in regards to the evacuation.

After a brief moment, Alexis cleared her throat to draw Kicker's attention. The instant he saw her, his features were drawn up into a scowl. "Don't tell me you were eavesdropping on that!" he blurted out.

Alexis held up her hands in a calming gesture. "There's no need to get defensive, Kicker," she said peacefully, wondering why the prospect of whether or not she'd been listening was getting him so riled. Though she suspected that he might have some hidden feelings for Misha, she continued as though she was completely in the dark. "We're not stopping you from talking to a friend if you want to."

Kicker seemed to calm down slightly at that, though he didn't lose the look he was giving her. Crossing his arms, he said, in a somewhat derisive tone, "Fair enough."

Alexis took a step closer, gazing down at him with sympathy. Though she wasn't sure that he'd be interested in what she had to say, she threw it out anyway. "I don't care what you think of me, Kicker, for choosing this life for myself. I shouldn't have to explain the reasons behind it either… But the fact remains, I was a human being just like you. The first time I saw a Transformer -- and it didn't matter if it happened to be Megatron or not -- I was scared too."

Alexis paused, then was inspired to continue off of the look he gave her that indicated she'd struck a chord. "But I learned early on that you can't limit yourself to what's there on the surface… Underneath the veneer, there is not even one personality trait amongst the Transformers that doesn't mirror what you'd find in humans, if you look long and hard enough. If that wasn't true, then I would never have some to call any of those 'giant metalheads,' as you put it, my friends."

For a moment, it seemed as if her words might be getting through to him, but Kicker's next action reminded Alexis that she shouldn't have expected too much too soon and that it was unlikely that ten years of fear and/or hatred could be cast away just like that.

Adopting his usual arrogant attitude, Kicker turned on his heel, resting both hands (fingers interlocked in an equally-cavalier manner) on top of his head. Even as he began to walk away, he turned his head slightly to the side, calling out to Alexis' fellow cadet who'd been more or less ignoring her and Kicker throughout the whole exchange.

"Hey, **Ironhead**!" Kicker deliberately baited his other guardian, though Alexis couldn't entirely fault the teenager for doing so. "Aren't you supposed to be baby-sitting me?"

The resulting look on Ironhide's face was so priceless that Alexis very much wished she'd had a camera handy…

* * *

It was nothing short of amazing that Alpha Q had stolen the amount of Energon that he had, his multiple personalities had gotten embroiled in such serious conflict once the asteroid colony had been hit. Even Nonchalant had joined in for a change, siding with Brainiac when it came to arguing against the taking of lives to achieve their ends. Laser Happy, however, refused to be swayed until his "brothers" threatened to take him apart. (How they would have achieved that was beyond Sideways, but the warning had seemed to do the trick.)

Aside from that big argument, there was so much indecision and change in tactics going on that it made Sideways' head spin. Near as the latter could determine, the decision to abduct Tidal Wave was made on the spur on the moment; Laser Happy seemed convinced that they could use the amount of firepower that the big guy possessed.

Then, once the attack on one of the Earth bases commenced, Spazz had kept going on and on, in his usual frenzied manner, about how they needed to capture some human boy. Sideways couldn't even begin to guess at what that was about, but he had figured that it was better not to waste energy in trying to figure out Alpha Q's motives.

The good news was that the stolen Energon had helped somewhat in repairing Unicron's fractured body. Though the dark god was still a long way off from being fully restored to his former glory, Megatron was a different story.

At this moment, Sideways stood before the imprisoned Decepticon leader, hoping that he wasn't wasting his breath as he threw out one comment after another that would hopefully direct Megatron to tap into the supply of Energon (however minute) coursing through Unicron's body. After ten minutes, when it seemed this wasn't producing results, Sideways turned away with a sigh, and his optics grew wide when he saw that Alpha Q had ventured into this chamber, so quietly that the rogue bot hadn't even heard him.

Laser Happy's face was at the forefront at this moment, and his tone was more furious than Sideways had ever heard it. "How dare you plot against us!" Laser Happy barked out. "We will not share that which we have acquired!"

Then, from Brainiac, "Thank Primus you are without solid form, Sideways, else we would not hesitate to destroy you!"

Spazz was next to throw out some angry comments. "Did you think just because we remained within Unicron's spark chamber that we could not see what you were up to?!"

Sideways relaxed his stance, his smug demeanor returning. While it hadn't readily occurred to him that Alpha Q had been watching his every movement the whole time, he now saw an opportunity to manipulate the situation in his favor. Gesturing towards Megatron, he said, "Do you even know who this is, or how much it would benefit you if he were revived?" After a short pause, he went on with, "From what I hear, you're hoping to coerce one of Megatron's men into working for you. What better way to sway Tidal Wave over to your side than by promising to give him back his fallen leader?"

Spazz looked, if anything, confused by this logic and thus allowed Brainiac to speak in his stead. "We need no aid from the one who helped annihilate our planet!" the latter stated. "Do you honestly expect us to trust you, Sideways?"

Sideways snorted. "Right… You need no help," he echoed. "The way I see it, your strategies didn't work out so well the first time around, or else you would have captured more of the energy source you so desperately needed."

Alpha Q paused once more at this declaration; the silence was broken when Nonchalant chose to chime in. "The conspirator does have a point, my brothers," he said in a detached voice. Nonchalant could always be counted upon to be the most objective. "We are too disorganized to be left to our own devices."

A smug smile began forming beneath Sideways' faceplate, he was so sure he'd convinced them that they needed his services. His hopes died with the next statement.

"We must have Scorpinok!" Laser Happy blurted out in an excitable tone.

Even as Sideways was left reeling and/or wondering who the heck Scorpinok was, Spazz was jumping in with, "But we don't have nearly enough Energon to revive our fallen comrade! We must have more!"

"Then we shall acquire more," Brainiac said. In the next instant, Alpha Q's entire frame tilted backwards, allowing his interior heads to gaze towards the ceiling. "Go, my pets!" Brainiac shouted, undoubtedly speaking to the predatory bots that made up Alpha Q's army. "Do not stop until the Transformers' lunar colony has been completely cleaned out!"

As Alpha Q turned to vacate the chamber, seemingly heading back to his primary hub of operations, Sideways was shaking his head in disbelief, wondering, _How in the world did I not see that backfiring on me…?

* * *

_

Most Transformers (whether they be Autobot or Decepticon) would be feeling quite apprehensive over the possibility of an imminent attack, especially when facing an enemy that they knew nothing about.

The main security chief of the colony on Earth's moon had no such qualms. Whether this was due to his own eccentricities or because it had been far too long since he'd been engaged in a real battle, Cyclonus was being unusually chipper while most of his fellow soldiers seemed to be experiencing varying degrees of anxiety.

Even as the last shuttle (transporting the remainder of the human colonists off planet) was launched, Cyclonus was drawing attention from more than one bot who thought he was nuts with the cheery statement, "So long, soft-bodies!" For the most part, Cyclonus had seemed to get along alright with the humans, but this declaration sure suggested otherwise.

Later on, it was never known if Cyclonus' random firing of laser blasts up into the sky (part of his giddiness over a potential battle) inspired a return volley or not from the predatory bots that seemed to come out of nowhere. Even as a good-sized number of the metallic jaguars and falcons circled around the eccentric bot in a threatening manner, Cyclonus lost enough of his resolve to nervously utter a single phrase.

"Uh-oh…"

* * *

In putting together a defensive team to hopefully salvage the moon base, Optimus was forced to leave one of his aerial soldiers behind at Ocean City. Though he hated having to do so, he didn't feel that a battlefield was a good place for Starxis to be right now, regardless of how capable the youngling had proven to be in the past. And, seeing as Alexis might benefit from the experience, Optimus elected to take her along on what he hoped would be a successful campaign.

The first hitch to this plan originated when Kicker showed up at the Warp Gate, having somehow acquired a space suit and helmet (though the three Mini-Cons he called friends may have obtained it for him), and demanded they take him along. The fact that Kicker threw out Optimus' earlier mandate that he be teamed with Ironhide and Alexis (and that it should not have been said if he was **not **going to participate in future fights) made the Autobot commander wish he'd not phrased it the way he had.

Though the teenager's sudden drive to join in on a fight that wasn't his bothered her, Alexis allowed Kicker to climb onto her hand at Optimus' order. He'd be sequestered within her cockpit once she switched forms, on the other side of the gate.

As Optimus, Jetfire, and Hot Shot had learned during the assault on Ocean City, the army of predatory bots were remarkably easy to take out. It was their sheer numbers that was the problem; there were so many that completely stopping the pilfering of the mines was near impossible.

Looking around at the devastation that had been laid down on this colony made Optimus glad that he'd ordered the evacuation when he had. Near as he could tell, the invaders had gone back to their take-no-prisoners way of doing things, judging by the Transformers strewn about that had been either killed or severely damaged.

Given that Alexis was in the air, with Jetfire nearby to spot her in case she needed it, and doing quite well at eliminating the raptors even in her jet mode, Optimus saw no problem in his team focusing their attention on the ground troops. However, the next hitch came about before the Autobot leader and Hot Shot were even aware of it. Sometime while they had been distracted with taking down all nearby jaguars, Ironhide had taken off on them and was nowhere in sight when they looked for him.

Alexis provided an answer to this when she and Jetfire came in for a landing, saying in passing that she had seen Ironhide disappear down into the mines before turning her attention to the boy who'd just vacated her cockpit. Looking slightly incensed, she said, "Learn to listen next time, Kicker… I did not need you fighting me when it came to navigating."

Choosing to ignore that statement for the time being, Optimus ordered her and Kicker to go after Ironhide, saying that he, Jetfire, and Hot Shot would be along as soon as the invaders/thieves on the moon's surface were taken care of.

Getting inside the mines was no big challenge, given that Alexis and Kicker were being covered by the three more seasoned vets. Once in the steel corridor, Alexis kept her optics and audio sensors peeled for any sign of the enemy, holding her rifle at the ready. She could have used her quarterstaff-type weapon, but the gun was more sufficient when it came to eliminating targets as quickly as possible.

She and Kicker moved at a steady pace until they reached an open elevator shaft. Tilting forward, Alexis peered down into the blackness, and the sounds of fighting (though faint) reached her from a great distance below. No doubt, that was where Ironhide was.

Moving quickly, Alexis allowed Kicker to climb onto her hand once more and repositioned so he was held gently but firmly against her chest. It relieved her to no end that the teenager wasn't making a fuss, now that they were in the thick of things. Perhaps Optimus' statement that he would not force Kicker to evacuate along with his family had eased the boy's hatred by some small degree, not to mention the words she'd offered him.

Taking a deep breath, Alexis stepped into the shaft, drifting downwards as quickly as she dared and prepared herself to fire at any predatory bots that came at her from above or below. She needn't have worried, given that none was forthcoming. Still, it bothered her that no attempt was being made to abduct Kicker, this time around.

For an instant after she'd touched down on the ground at the bottom of the shaft, Alexis truly believed that Ironhide had done well for himself, without her help. There were a number of the metallic jaguars surrounding him, but most appeared to be down for the count. Those that were left standing were being made short work of.

On second glance, she could see something was off in regards to the forms of the predatory bots; she had seen enough of them during the attack on Ocean City to have gotten a good impression as to how they should look. The main difference here was that a majority of them now seemed to have acquired an odd extension at a small raised circular port at their backs.

At first, Alexis couldn't make sense of the three-dimensional, garishly yellow geometric shape that each jaguar was sporting like some sort of fashion accessory. She got her answer from Kicker, as the teenager said in a low voice, "That's Energon." Kicker looked up at her, and, seeing her confusion, added, "The video feeds from yesterday revealed as much. They have some internal mechanism that molds it into that form for transport, after they collect enough… From what I can tell, they have enough left over, stored inside them, to generate two more of those shapes."

Even as Alexis felt some relief that the downed bots could be transported back to Ocean City to extract the mineral from them, Kicker tensed up when he saw Ironhide, finished with his assault, was carelessly reaching for one of the Energon molds on the fallen jaguar nearest him. "No!" Kicker yelled out, leaping down from Alexis' hand and running towards her fellow cadet. "Don't touch it, Ironhide!"

As if startled by the warning or by hearing his name, Ironhide turned in their direction. However, he didn't pull his arm away, and before either Kicker or Alexis were even aware of it, his hand had reflexively closed around the mineral. Unfortunately, this was a serious mistake, which both of his companions were aware of. Energon, in its raw form, was too dangerous to be handled by a standard Transformer; the bots (called Omnicons, for reasons Alexis didn't really understand) who were mining it at each of the colonies had been specially built to manage that very task.

The resulting jolt to Ironhide's system was so intense that it propelled him backwards by several feet, instantly rendering him unconscious if his darkened optics were any indication. Much to Alexis' surprise, Kicker ran towards their fallen comrade, seeming concerned.

A few seconds later, her attention was drawn by the angry snarls that sounded behind her; Alexis barely had time to turn before another of those jaguars was upon her. She fell under the force of its lunge, but instantly focused on keeping its jaws away from her face, as well as maneuvering her gun into a position where the shot was sure to connect.

Even as this was going on, Alexis could see, out of the corner of her optic, that there were two or three more of the predatory bots present here. When she saw that they were moving to run past her, she redoubled her efforts to dispatch the one that was atop her. However, she stopped, though very briefly, and turned her head to look at Ironhide and Kicker when she heard the sound of a gun being fired.

_That boy sure does like kicking things,_ Alexis thought lightly, as she saw the gun attachment at Ironhide's shoulder pointed towards the jaguars that had been coming at him and Kicker. Given that the latter still had one foot raised/outstretched near the same area, Alexis correctly guessed that the weapon had discharged automatically after Kicker had helped in "aiming" it. Luckily, one of the predatory bots had been taken out by this maneuver.

Unfortunately, the other was still on the move. Knowing there was no way for Kicker to employ the trick a second time, Alexis frantically shoved her own opponent away, rolling to her side and focused on going to the boy's aid.

A second later, she found that she needn't have bothered, as several laser blasts coming from the vicinity of the mine's entrance made short work of the remaining enemy bots. Turning her head, Alexis let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Optimus, Hot Shot, and Jetfire had come just in time.

Before any words could be said, about three dozen more of the metallic jaguars seemed to appear out of nowhere at one of the side corridors. Though they seemed only to be making a run for it instead of stopping to fight, Jetfire soon raced after them, determined not to let them get away with whatever amount of the Energon they had stolen.

In the next moment, Alexis and Kicker were beginning to explain what had happened, under Optimus' inquiries, when Ironhide suddenly rolled to the left, repositioning himself so he was on his hands and knees. What he said, when Hot Shot asked if he was alright, suggested he had been conscious long enough to have heard the assessment of his two teammates.

Sounding ashamed of himself, Ironhide said softly, making a few of them strain to hear, "I failed… I put us all in danger."

Wordlessly, though still feeling for her fellow recruit, Alexis rose to her feet and was seen reaching to take one of the fallen jaguars into her arms while being careful not to touch the geometric mold at its back. When Optimus looked at her quizzically, she told of her idea to take the invaders that had been dispatched back to Earth to salvage what remained of the Energon at this colony. "There wasn't much here to begin with," Alexis reminded. "And odds are, they would have cleaned us out, there were so many of them."

"Agreed," Optimus said with a nod. A quick look around allowed him to spot a mining cart, which he was quick to go for and move into the center of the cavern. "We'll transport them back to the Warp Gate in this."

While Alexis, Optimus, and Hot Shot were working at this task (and Ironhide was just plain feeling sorry for himself), Jetfire returned to report that the group he'd been chasing had gotten away; a number of the metallic raptors that had somehow gone undetected had swooped in to carry the ground-based predators away from the battlefield. Jetfire said he had tried pursuing, but they had escaped through one of their own portals before he could catch them.

It wasn't much longer after this that the five Transformers and the human boy were emerging from the mines with two loaded carts in tow. Now that the battlefield was quiet and empty, Alexis had the opportunity to look around, though she felt something akin to queasiness as she took in the sight of one casualty after another. Looking toward Optimus, she asked, "Were there any survivors?"

His shoulders slumped as if he were carrying a very heavy weight on them, Optimus looked back at her. "I don't believe so," he replied, sounding tired. "But then, I'm not entirely certain, given that not everyone's accounted for."

"What…?" Alexis started to say, and broke off when Jetfire turned to look her way.

"I didn't see Cyclonus amongst the casualties," Jetfire responded, surprising her slightly as she hadn't known the eccentric bot was stationed here on the moon. "I'm not sure what that means, but if I have to hazard a guess…"

Alexis' optics widened. "You think they might have taken him just like they did Tidal Wave?" When Jetfire nodded solemnly, she bowed her head, mind reeling. _This doesn't make sense!_ she thought wildly. _If it's true, then why would the Decepticons be the only ones to be targeted?! Unless… Surely, this new enemy couldn't be seeking to reorganize them into a single team!_

Until they were back on Earth and reviewing the video feeds on fast forward, Alexis wasn't given any cause to think otherwise. Though it bothered her and Optimus that Cyclonus had seemed to have unwittingly instigated the severity of this attack, it also appeared that the eccentric bot hadn't been abducted or killed as they'd thought.

However, his true fate did nothing to put them at ease.

Roughly ten minutes before Optimus and his team had arrived on the moon's surface, Cyclonus had broken away from the predatory bots that had been attacking him personally. Though the metallic jaguars and raptors seemed to lose interest in him once he'd gotten airborne, Cyclonus stopped to watch them for about thirty seconds until a large group of them emerged from the mines. As soon as they had begun to disappear through whatever portal they used to teleport, Cyclonus had switched to his copter mode and took off after them at full speed.

From that point, there was no way to track where Cyclonus or his quarry had gone.

Having followed Optimus, Alexis, and the others into the communications center while they were en route, Starscream quietly asked for the feed to be shut off. After a few seconds, Hot Shot complied, and all the screens went dark.

Alexis threw a solemn glance at Starscream, though she didn't dare ask, out loud or telepathically, if he was okay. She doubted anyone would be after losing two comrades in two days. But then, Starscream had more of a camaraderie with Tidal Wave and Cyclonus than anyone else in this room.

Hot Shot was the first to break the silence that had taken hold of everyone, sparing a brief glance to the remorseful Ironhide at the far wall. Looking up at Optimus, he asked, "It's not going to stop, is it, sir? Even if we don't know why, we might be facing the onset of another war."

Optimus bowed his head slightly. "That just might be the case, Hot Shot," he responded, though he stopped to catch Starscream's optics with his own even as he said this. His next statement sounded a little cryptic, causing Alexis to wonder at its significance. "Which means our lives are no longer our own."

Curious, Alexis looked towards the love of her life, intending to mentally ask him about this, but Starscream beat her to the punch. _I'll tell you when we're alone,_ was all he offered. _Now's not the time._

Alexis accepted that with a sigh, then turned to focus on Ironhide and Kicker, both positioned near the door. "That also means we no longer have time for games." She paused, then took a step towards her two teammates and looking so incensed they didn't dare look away from her.

Using her most impassioned voice to let them know she wasn't kidding, Alexis said, "The purpose of the three of us being a team is that we have to work together if we hope to survive at all! That means no more acting independently, second-guessing each other, or picking unnecessary fights! And Ironhide -- I don't care what your problem with me is, but it stops now! This is not a competition, and the battlefield is not a place for soldiers to try to outdo each other!"

Though it slightly surprised her, Ironhide had the decency to look compliant. Perhaps the fiasco down in the mines had had a greater effect than she'd thought. For a long moment, he said nothing; maybe he needed the time to let her words fully sink in. At last, he nodded, saying simply, "I'll try."

After getting a similar agreement from Kicker, Alexis threw another glance at Starscream (concerned that he seemed to be making an effort to keep her from hearing his thoughts) before looking to Optimus and asking to be dismissed.

Once they were in the hallway some distance away and no one else seemed to be in hearing range, Alexis turned to gaze at Starscream questioningly. "Are you going to tell me what's going on now, or make me guess at it?"

Starscream sighed, lowering his gaze. "The reason Optimus asked to speak privately with me when we got here this morning is…" He broke off, and looked so conflicted on how he should phrase it that Alexis stepped closer, taking his hands in hers and saying that she'd understand, whatever it was.

Squaring his shoulders, Starscream quietly continued with, "Being who we were, and because the war was over, Optimus had no problem in making certain allowances for us. But with a new enemy out there that we know nothing about… Until this situation is resolved, one way or another, no soldier in this city is going to get any special treatment. Not even us."

Alexis took a few seconds to absorb that, then took half a step closer, touching the side of his face. "It's okay," she said soothingly, the resolve in her tone letting him know she meant it. "This doesn't change anything… We still have countless centuries ahead to be together. With any luck, this new war is only a temporary one. And, barring any life-threatening surprises like the one Unicron hit us with last time, odds are we'll be alright and we'll come through unscathed."

Starscream smiled warmly, simultaneously giving a short laugh. Inclining his head towards hers, he whispered those three little words she never got tired of hearing…

* * *

Until he'd heard this being called Alpha Q (the name spoken of by Sideways) actually speaking of his personal plans, Megatron's interest in returning to the land of the living had been very slim. If anything, he'd been too tired to care about what Sideways or anyone else wanted of him. The only reason he'd want to regain his strength was so he could be granted the peace he'd sought to begin with.

Oddly enough, it was Sideways' suggestion that Tidal Wave be fed a promise to earn his loyalty that ate away at the former Decepticon leader the most.

Megatron had learned quite a bit during the conversation between Sideways and Alpha Q; it was fortunate that they seemed unaware that he could hear them. The news that Sideways was nothing more than a ghost and likely out to serve his own ends just as much as he had a decade prior told Megatron that his supposed ally could not be trusted or relied upon.

Still, he had to thank Sideways for planting the idea in his head on how to grow in power. To this end, it was perhaps fortunate that Megatron was embedded within Unicron's body; it would allow him to siphon off some of the Energon that he could feel coursing through the dark god. However, it would take time for Megatron to fully make his comeback, as he didn't want to call attention to himself too early by stealing a noticeable amount of this power source.

And, Primus willing, Megatron would soon have the chance to break free of his prison… and take his revenge on those who dared plot against him…


	7. Setting the Stage

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Six

Sideways' curiosity over who Scorpinok was supposed to be was satisfied almost as soon as Alpha Q's army of Terrorcons returned from their latest raid. While the stolen Energon went a long way towards healing Unicron, Alpha Q seemed to have no trouble in squandering it to bring to life the being he apparently believed could assist him.

As he viewed this one called Scorpinok (who seemed to be an amalgam of a metal scorpion and a variety of construction vehicle parts) being forged from Unicron in the same way as the Terrorcons, Sideways had to admit to being curious if Alpha Q was molding his army in the likeness of the inhabitants of his own planet. If that was the case, then Sideways might be interested to know what the true form of the spindly bot had been.

As soon as that thought had crossed Sideways' mind, it served to startle him. If he was actually starting to care about any aspect of Alpha Q's wretched life, then perhaps he'd been spending far too much time in the company of the insane, spindly bot. And yet, it wasn't like he could go anywhere or had anyone else to actively associate with (even Megatron wasn't a good substitute for conversation). Being unable to escape the confines of Unicron's body limited his options of both.

_It truly is a curse, _Sideways mused, _being stuck the way I am… If I had known that this was going to be the culmination of our partnership, Unicron, I might have told you to get lost when you first contacted me… Hell, I wish you'd never attempted to bring me back after Optimus shot and killed me. I'd rather be dead than spend my days like this._

Seconds after he'd been created from the remains of the dark god, Scorpinok became aware enough to speak, in a decidedly authoritative tone. Though he seemed confused, Sideways imagined the newly risen bot must retain some sense of self from whomever he'd been prior to the annihilation of his planet. "Where am I?" Scorpinok was asking. After a pause, he added, in a near-whisper, "I should be dead…"

Alpha Q drifted slightly closer to Scorpinok; it was Brainiac who drew the new arrival's attention by saying, "Life always returns and goes on… You taught me that once, my friend."

Scorpinok hesitated for a couple seconds, then transformed into an oversized, majestic-looking mint green bot. There was a strip of metal resembling a visor covering his optics, but it was shortly moved upwards, as if Scorpinok wanted to see that his audio sensors weren't deceiving him. He stood in silence, appearing to be in a state of shock, for another few seconds, before unexpectedly dropping to his knees, lowering his head in a reverent manner.

Scorpinok's words startled Sideways even further. "My liege," the former said softly. "How good it is to see you again." While Sideways was reeling at the idea that Alpha Q had been the sovereign of his lost planet, Scorpinok was continuing with, "I am at your service, as always. What is it you command of me?"

Alpha Q, continuing to speak through the face that Sideways had dubbed Brainiac, sounded more lucid than his ghostly "companion" had ever heard him. After providing a very basic rundown of the raids on the mining colonies (perhaps Scorpinok was the type to accept what he was hearing, no questions asked), Alpha Q said, "I know I can trust you to lead a successful campaign, just as you've always done in the past… To that end, I give you full command of our army."

Scorpinok bowed even further, in a show of respect. "Your will be done, my lord," he said, rising to his feet and starting to turn away when Alpha Q stopped him. In one of the spindly bot's elongated clawed hands, the air seemed to be coalescing into a round mist-like sphere. An image of the injured Tidal Wave appeared briefly within the orb, to be permanently replaced seconds later by a picture of Megatron in his weakened state.

Handing the sphere to Scorpinok, Alpha Q said, "You will go to the one called Tidal Wave and restore him to health. We have lost too many members of our army thus far, and I do not have the means to replace them… If the one we have chosen as a suitable replacement offers any resistance, you will show him this to earn his loyalty. Make him believe that he will get his former leader back if he helps us."

Sideways tilted his head to one side, finding this highly interesting. Though Alpha Q undoubtedly hated him, this was the second or third time that he'd taken one of Sideways' suggestions to heart. Perhaps, then, the spindly bot was developing just as much a grudging respect towards someone he should detest with every fiber of his being.

Looking up from the orb in his hand, Scorpinok asked, "Where is this one called Tidal Wave now?"

"Aboard one of our battleships that was salvaged from our home planet," Alpha Q answered. "I have had the Terrorcon army repairing it for this very day." He went on to offer the coordinates, then said, "It is good to see you once more, old friend. I should not have waited so long to bring you back. I could have used your counsel as well as your company long before now."

Sideways snorted at this remark, drawing the attention of Alpha Q and Scorpinok. While the former was shortly glaring at him, the latter was curiously asking, "Who is this?"

After listening to Alpha Q offer a rather unflattering remark, Sideways quietly turned and began to walk away, wishing more than ever there was a way to escape this worthless existence…

* * *

Tensions seemed to running mighty high, when Optimus assembled his most elite soldiers, the two trainees, and Kicker for a private conference that evening. The only other participants, through a live video broadcast, were Kicker's father and Rad. It was hard to say who was most agitated of those assembled. For the most part, everyone was worried about how unprepared they were for future attacks.

The only exceptions were Dr. Jones, who expressed some concern over his son's well-being (which Kicker responded to with a derisive snort, arousing Alexis' curiosity) and Demolisher, who was bristling over the unknown fates of Tidal Wave and Cyclonus.

Kicker's father was currently saying something about building a suit of battle armor for his son, if the latter was going to continue getting involved in these skirmishes. Though Kicker looked as sullen as ever, he did offer up a grudging word of thanks.

For a moment, Alexis kept her gaze fixed on the boy, though he was oblivious that she was watching him. She'd not been aware that Kicker felt any animosity towards his father and couldn't help but wonder about it.

In the next instant, her attention was drawn to Red Alert when he spoke. "We could work at fortifying the defenses of all our remaining colonies on Earth," the medic stated. "It's unfortunate we had no forewarning that these attacks were going to happen, or we might not have lost our bases out in space."

Optimus sighed heavily. "Well, the fact remains, Red Alert, that we couldn't have known this was coming. And the truth is… After all the Transformers of Cybertron declared peace with each other, there was no reason to think that anyone would be greedy enough to initiate a new war. Even the Decepticons had to know they wouldn't be cheated in any way. Isn't that right, Demolisher?"

Appearing slightly startled at having been addressed, Demolisher looked up. It took him a few seconds to register what Optimus had said before he answered with, "To my knowledge, it is correct. I…" He paused for a moment, then continued with a sigh, "But then, I was proven wrong before. When Shockblast…"

Demolisher trailed off once more, but all still knew what he'd been about to say; save for Ironhide and Kicker, those assembled were put on edge at the mention of the deranged murderer. Of all the Decepticons who hadn't been in favor of the alliance, it was Shockblast, once a decorated veteran, who had taken it to the extreme.

Alexis shook off the thought after a brief silence, determined not to get sidetracked. "Okay, so the question remains, who could have done this, and why?" she said aloud, forcing her companions to regain their focus. "Is there a way to find that out?"

Before anyone could so much as offer a reply, Starxis oddly started throwing a fit, digging his claws into the metal at Starscream's shoulder and screeching nonstop. Throwing a glance at Optimus, Alexis moved over to her two loved ones, doing her best to soothe the youngling and try to figure out what was wrong. Typically, the only time Starxis would get agitated like this was if there was some imminent threat closing in.

Lifting his head a notch, Starscream said, making himself heard over Starxis' shrieking, "Are we under attack?"

Starxis ceased his fit long enough to articulate, "No talking… Being watched."

Red Alert went to the control panel after a split second, typing in some commands to see if somebody had tapped into their surveillance feed. Looking at Optimus, he shook his head to indicate that their own security cameras were not being used against them, before turning his questioning gaze to Alexis, Starscream, and the youngling.

Starxis, undoubtedly hearing the medic's thoughts, raised his head to look skyward. Even as he spoke a name, it was if his large green eyes were boring into whomever was spying on them. "Alpha Q…"

* * *

Millions of miles away, Alpha Q abruptly closed down the translucent, free-standing viewscreen he'd been observing, perturbed by the realization that this one called Starxis could sense him. It seemed that the youngling's telepathic abilities were more powerful and far-reaching than he'd anticipated; perhaps Starxis could access anyone's mind, no matter the distance, provided their focus was set on a given area.

He'd have to be very careful from now on when he made use of Unicron's omniscient powers. Seeing as spying on this private conversation between Optimus and his men was now out of the question, Alpha Q redirected his attention to the exterior of the four colonies on Earth, trying to determine which one he should instruct Scorpinok to attack.

After much thought, he decided that the one called Desert City was likely the most vulnerable. And, as soon as Tidal Wave was repaired and coerced over to his side, the strike would be imminent…

* * *

Red Alert's search of the name, Alpha Q, in the computer's database failed to turn up any results, and Alexis' questioning of Starxis only told those assembled that their unknown enemy's thoughts had been far too chaotic (and the look into them was too short) for the youngling to get a clear-cut picture.

While no one knew just who their new enemy was or how he had been spying on them, it was apparent that Starxis must have scared him off, given that the youngling stated that it was "safe to talk now."

Gently stroking Starxis' head, Alexis looked over at Optimus. "No wonder this Alpha Q knew where and when to hit us… Who knows how long he's been watching us." She paused, then added, "If Starxis is right, then now's our best chance to plan how to fight back." She turned to look at Red Alert, banking on the possibility that Alpha Q hadn't been eavesdropping for very long. "How long do you think it might take to build up our defenses as you suggested?"

Clearing his throat, Red Alert answered, "A matter of days, if I have a few colleagues from Cybertron collaborating on it. We should be able to build more than enough gun turrets and install them before this new enemy of ours even figures out what we're up to."

A short silence followed this, broken when Jetfire said, "So anyone care to throw out ideas on why this Alpha Q would want to steal so much from us? What could he be doing with all that Energon?"

Starxis raised his head once more, saying in a chirpy tone, "Restoring life…"

Hot Shot looked towards the youngling, his optics slightly widened. Sounding somewhat fearful, he asked, "Restoring life to who?" Given that Starxis responded to the inquiry with an uncertain look, it soon became obvious that no answer would be coming straightaway.

Optimus ended this debate by saying, "Our main priority right now is protect our remaining colonies. We can worry about the reasoning later… To that end, I'll be reassigning some of you to lead our forces at the other cities. Jetfire, you're to go to Plains City. Starscream, to Jungle City. And… Hot Shot and Sky Dancer -- Desert City is all yours. The rest of you will stay here for the time being."

Other than Demolisher asking if there'd been any progress in locating Tidal Wave or Cyclonus, which there hadn't, the meeting seemed to be over. Shortly thereafter, the reassigned soldiers were on their way to the Warp Gate, though the two jets were hanging back, moving at a slightly slower pace to have time to say all they wanted to each other.

Wondering why she hadn't addressed this point earlier, Alexis said, "Optimus seems to think I'd make a good leader, given enough time and experience. Aside from wanting to hear your take on this…" She looked up at Starscream without breaking stride. Her thoughts instantly filled him in on all the details of her earlier conversation with the Autobot commander, leaving her free to say, "I don't think it would be too late for you to take Megatron's place, if you still wanted to."

Starscream shook his head after a moment. "The reason I didn't to begin with was because I didn't think I'd be accepted by the other Decepticons as such."

"Well, things have changed since then. Demolisher's certainly come to like you, and you've always done such a great job at settling conflicts between the two sides." She paused, reaching out to touch one of the Autobot faction symbols he'd had painted on his wings in place of his former insignias. "It wouldn't be hard to change these back if you're worried about that, if that will make the Decepticon army tolerate you as their leader. It won't change who you are inside, or what you've become to me and Starxis."

Starscream had his optics fixed on her throughout this whole speech, appreciative of her flattering remarks. He loved that she had always believed in him so much. Knowing that they were nearing the Warp Gate, he said, in a compliant tone, "I'll talk to Demolisher at the first opportunity, to set things in motion." A pause, then, "And, to answer your other question… I'm very much in agreement with Optimus."

Warmed by the words, Alexis turned to watch Jetfire disappear, then focused back on Starscream even as she moved to face him. After planting a tender kiss on his lips and making him laugh by thinking, _I love how our mouths can be so pliable for being made of metal_, she reluctantly pulled away to follow Hot Shot.

"Take good care of Starxis," Starscream offered as a parting remark, throwing a glance at the youngling perched on her shoulder. The reason that Starxis was going with her to Desert City was because there were still some humans there who could assist Alexis with their child's daily meals.

Alexis instinctively raised one hand to hover near Starxis; the youngling responded by pressing his head against her palm. "Always," she responded, then stepped onto the platform next to Hot Shot to warp away to their destination…

* * *

Manipulating Tidal Wave was remarkably easy, the big guy was so dim. The only delay had been in effecting repairs to the colossal Transformer; Tidal Wave's size and the extent of his injuries had occupied Scorpinok's time for a couple days. It was remarkable, Scorpinok mused at one point, that the big guy could have survived for so long with that much damage.

Scorpinok had almost expected Tidal Wave to put up a fight, once he was well enough to do so, as part of a retaliation against the Terrorcons who had wounded and abducted him. Yet, once the big guy was on his feet, fully alert, the first thing to pass through his lips was, "Why have you brought Tidal Wave here? What is this place?"

Shaking his head at Tidal Wave's apparent tendency to refer to himself in the third person, Scorpinok answered with, "You are here because I require your services, Tidal Wave." Holding the misty orb that Alpha Q had given him loosely at his side, Scorpinok continued with, "You may know by now that the strikes against you and yours were done with the intention of stealing Energon…"

Tidal Wave seemed to bristle slightly at this; as slow on the uptake as he might be, he still was angered by the admission of these thefts. The fact that the four cannons mounted on his torso swiveled around in Scorpinok's direction told the latter that he'd better do some fast talking.

Quickly, Scorpinok said, "Please, you must hear me out!" Thankfully, the veracity in his tone caused Tidal Wave to hesitate, though he still looked prepared to open fire at any moment. Taking a deep breath, Scorpinok continued with, "I know of the history of those who reside on Cybertron. What a dark day it must have been, when you and your fellow Decepticons lost the commander you had looked to for so long. What if I told you there was a way to bring him back?"

Something changed in Tidal Wave's expression once those words sunk in, though he looked caught between hope and doubt. Guardedly, in case this was a trick, he said, "Tidal Wave does not like being lied to."

Confidently, Scorpinok raised the orb, displaying the image of Megatron for his colossal companion to see. "Oh, I assure you, it's not a lie."

After a second or two, Tidal Wave dropped to his knees, reaching towards the orb with one shaking hand. "Megatron," he whispered reverently, though he still sounded uncertain as if either Scorpinok or his own optics were deceiving him. A moment later, Tidal Wave was gazing back at the majestic green bot with something like suspicion. "It cannot be… Megatron was destroyed by Unicron."

"According to whom?" Scorpinok countered. "I doubt there is even one member of your race who can actually attest to this. All you have to go on is the word of Optimus Prime and Starscream, and even they never confirmed what became of your fallen leader after Unicron consumed him." Scorpinok paused, grinning ever so slightly as Tidal Wave returned to gazing at the orb with something akin to sadness. "Take my word for it, Tidal Wave. Megatron has been clinging to life ever since that day. All we'd need to restore him to his former glory is a vast amount of Energon."

Scorpinok closed his fist around the misty sphere, forcing Tidal Wave to look back at him with widened yellow optics. After a slight pause, Scorpinok said, "Can I count on you to help us acquire what we need?"

The colossal Transformer's answer was everything that Scorpinok had hoped for, reaffirming his belief that the big guy was a sucker for being manipulated. "Tidal Wave is yours to command…"

* * *

When Optimus received reports from Cybertron that a survivor from the moon base had appeared in their vicinity several hours ago and was requesting to be transported to Earth, it had taken only one look at a video feed of said survivor to convince him to raise Ocean City in readiness. Just before departing for the Warp Gate, he sent out a broadcast for Demolisher to meet him there and to call for a replacement in guarding the front entrance.

It was worth it to see the way Demolisher's face lit up when Cyclonus appeared on the platform, alive and well and greeting him and Optimus with his trademark cackling. Without a word, Demolisher stepped forward, even as Cyclonus moved towards him; the two greeted each other by knocking fists in a friendly way.

In the next instant, Demolisher was saying, in a rush, "We thought you were a goner when you took off after those enemy bots. Where have you been?!"

Cyclonus gave a short laugh, looking briefly towards Optimus to see he looked equally curious. "Well, the slagging things managed to ditch me a few minutes after we passed through that first wormhole of theirs," he said in an oddly cheery tone; Cyclonus was nothing if not eccentric. "I'm not sure how they managed it or why they would have let me go, but they opened up another one for me to stumble through as I was pursuing them. Nothing like being transported halfway across the galaxy… again." He paused, then continued with, "Once I got my bearings, I figured I was only a day's journey away from Cybertron. And, here I am."

Optimus chose not to comment on the fact that Cyclonus seemed to have waited a second day before contacting them, though he was curious as to what the eccentric bot had been doing all that time. "Can you tell us anything about where you might have been in between the first and second wormholes?" he asked. "Any stars that looked familiar?"

Cyclonus hesitated, scratching at his head while still wearing a goofy smile. "Sorry, wasn't paying attention to them," he replied offhandedly. "You should be able to find out from what's in my memory banks though, am I right?"

Optimus silently groaned, doing his best to hide his irritation. "Yes," he replied. "Make sure you go to see Red Alert at the first opportunity." With that said, he excused himself, leaving Demolisher and Cyclonus alone to get caught up. Yet, even as he walked away, he was torn between amusement and irritation when he heard Cyclonus starting to voice an off-color joke…

* * *

There was something pleasant about having gotten a breather for a few days. Alexis was surprised that there'd been no further attacks in that allotted time, but she came to look at it with a sense of relief. Rumors of Cyclonus' return even added to her feeling that maybe everything would be okay after all, and they'd all come through this crisis yet.

Currently, Alexis was seated with Starxis, Hot Shot, and Misha in a field outside Desert City, engaged in a pleasant conversation and enjoying the outdoors. Dimming her optics, she breathed in the arid desert air, lost in the memory and scents of how it had felt when she'd been human.

Until she heard Hot Shot speaking to her, Alexis had been caught completely within her meditation. Switching her optics back on, she looked over at her impulsive companion as he said, "You never did get back to me, on how Kicker knew during the first invasion that those bots were hostile."

Alexis tilted her head slightly in the side. "It's because I haven't had a chance to ask him. It's going to take time to earn his trust, Hot Shot. You just need to be patient."

Misha looked towards her two giant friends in curiosity. Once it registered what they were talking about, she jumped in with, "Kicker told me it was because something felt wrong about the Energon they were transporting." When Hot Shot and Alexis turned to look at her in bewilderment, Misha wondered if they'd not thought that she'd provide any insight into this; maybe they didn't know just how forthcoming Kicker could be with her.

"What do you mean, wrong?" Hot Shot asked after a moment. "Why would there be any difference?"

Misha hesitated, trying to think how best to put it so her companions would understand. "Try to think of it in scientific terms," she said slowly. "In its raw, unearthed form, Energon has a very specific chemical makeup… Kicker, having come to know how it should feel because of his extrasensory abilities, would automatically know if there were any deviation… From what he's told me, these enemy bots are modifying what they steal so it's filled with negative energy. Which means they must be using it for some nefarious purpose."

Alexis threw a glance at the youngling at her side before looking up at Hot Shot. "I suddenly get the feeling that whoever Alpha Q is restoring to life is not someone we want to see brought back," she said in a bleak tone.

Hot Shot nodded. "I'm not anxious to know who it is either."

Just then, a soft beeping sound drew Alexis' attention back to Misha, in time to see the teenage girl looking at a small communication device in slight irritation. With a sigh, Misha set the communicator on the ground beside her without opening it.

Gently rubbing Starxis' head, Alexis said, "You're not going to answer that?"

Misha looked back at Alexis with a resigned expression. Tilting her head slightly to the side, she answered, in a soft-spoken tone, "Odds are it's probably Kicker again. He doesn't want to take no for an answer." Off of the look Alexis gave her, she went on with, "He's been pestering me to clear out before the next attack comes about… We don't even know if they're going to make Desert City their next target."

Alexis planted both hands on the ground behind her, allowing her to recline slightly. "Kicker cares very much about you," she noted. "I'm sure he just wants you to stay safe."

Misha offered a soft smile, a slight breeze ruffling her long black hair. "I know he means well, but I don't see any other way to get him to respect my wishes. I'm hoping that he gets the message from the fact that I've not been taking his calls so far today." She remained silent for a long moment, then looked back up at Alexis. "I never extended my congratulations, for you and Starscream… You're more brave then I'd be; I don't think I'd have it in me to give up being human."

Alexis sighed, facing forward though she knew Misha and Hot Shot had their gazes fixed on her; perhaps the latter's curiosity had been aroused by this statement. Sounding somewhat wistful, she said, "There are things I'm going to miss… My favorite foods, going swimming on a hot summer day, the possibility of having a baby in the conventional way… But I'd known for ten years what I'd be sacrificing, and I've made my peace with it. There may be some residual angst, but I expect it will fade with time."

Hot Shot leaned forward, thinking that this may be the best time to voice a question that had been coming to him every so often over the past eight weeks. "What made you decide you wanted to be a soldier? Out of all the lifestyles you could have picked from, why that one?"

Alexis gave a slight shrug, wearing a wry smile. "Because after going head to head with a number of dangerous giant bots as a human and coming out unscathed, I couldn't see myself doing anything else. Honestly, Hot Shot, could you imagine me as a homemaker or bureaucrat after staring death in the eyes as many times as I have?"

Hot Shot gave a short laugh. "Perhaps not," he admitted.

Meanwhile, Misha's scientific mind had gotten some inspiration from what Alexis had had to say, and she broke the silence that followed. "There may still be a way for you -- and Starscream -- to have the same conveniences as humans. With all the advancements that science has to offer…" Misha paused very briefly, taking a breath in between the words that were spilling out in a rush. Looking from Alexis to Hot Shot and back again, she said, "Why should any of you be denied the ability to procreate if something could be done to make it possible?"

The youngling at Alexis' side lifted his head, chirping out an answer before she could so much as process this. "Starxis would like sibling."

Alexis threw a startled gaze at the youngling that soon melted into slight embarrassment. "Starxis!" she said in a soft but still reprimanding tone. After a moment to regain her composure and reflect on the implications, she looked back at Misha. While she felt a thrill at the possibility that she and Starscream could actually have a baby together in this way, she was too pragmatic to invest too much hope in it, in case it turned out to be nothing more than a pipe dream.

What Hot Shot had to say cast a shadow on Misha's belief. Though it bothered Alexis a little that this was becoming an interesting topic of discussion, she left him to it. "I hate to burst your bubble, but there are still ways for Starscream and Alexis to have a child if they want to. They could just as easily have a brand new Transformer built that would serve as their kid."

A little bit of the light in Misha's eyes faded away at this. "Maybe," she conceded. "But you've got to admit, Hot Shot, that process has nothing on genetics."

At this point, Alexis looked over. "As fascinating as this all is, I'd appreciate it if my personal life with Starscream wasn't being openly discussed like this." After a few seconds, her two companions nodded in agreement, she tackled another subject that had been on her mind. If anyone knew the answer to this, it would likely be Hot Shot. "When I was on Cybertron, I didn't see Sideswipe or Wheeljack."

Hot Shot looked back at her. "I was wondering when you might quiz me about those two… After the war ended, they gradually lost interest in remaining as soldiers. Wheeljack even left the Decepticons and became neutral. After he and Sideswipe became the best of friends, about four years ago, they decided they wanted to explore the galaxy. Near as I can tell, nobody's heard from them in some time."

Alexis regarded Hot Shot with widened optics. "I'm surprised, considering how much Sideswipe looked up to you as a sort of big brother."

Hot Shot shrugged. "Things change. You know that as well as I do, Alexis." He paused, then continued with, "While we're on the subject of the old gang and their whereabouts… Has anyone told you about Hoist?"

When she shook her head, he cast his gaze downward with a sigh. "He also left Cybertron, though for a more specific purpose. Since many of the females of our race and been driven away from the planet thanks to the war, it would make sense. Hoist took off to find someone he'd had feelings for, maybe even to retire. "As to Blurr… Well, to be honest, I don't know just what he's up to these days. Ever since he requested to be assigned to prison detail, I've barely seen him." Hot Shot sighed deeply. "It's never easy losing the ones you called friends…"

Alexis paused, her thoughts turning to the two childhood friends -- Billy and Fred -- that she'd lost touch with over the years. The last time she had seen them was on the day of her high school graduation. They had kept in touch for a while during the college years, but the letters and e-mails had gradually dwindled. The last she had heard was that Billy had gotten married, and Fred had begun studying to become an airline pilot.

After a long moment of staring at Hot Shot with a melancholy look, Alexis returned her focus to studying the landscape around her, enjoying the scenery for a time before she and her companions agreed that they were all ready to go inside. And yet, despite what she'd said and what she believed in regards to Misha's procreating scheme, Alexis couldn't shake the unbidden (and maybe improbable) image of holding a multi-colored and minuscule robotic jet in her arms…


	8. Seeds of Dissent

Sky Dancer

By: Ivory

_Author's Notes: I can't even begin to tell you all of what a relief it is to have this chapter done. Writing the fight sequence between Sorpinok, Alexis, and Ironhide took a lot of time and effort to find a scenario that actually worked._

_As if that wasn't enough of a headache, I was getting this installment ready to be posted two nights ago when the **entire** chapter was accidentally deleted. Fortunately, I managed to get it all rewritten from scratch in record time, with many variations, and in some cases, improvements, from the original draft._

_On a side note, I have updated the earlier installments (from chapter four on) with varying modifications worked in. Some reworked sequences may be more obvious than others. Also, Blurr's fate has been changed, and he may even make an appearance in this story later on._

_Also, I have drawn up a rough map of the rest of the story, which is looking to be thirty chapters long, There will be many surprises and drama in store. _

_That said, I hope you enjoy this update for all the effort that went into it. :)_

Chapter Seven

Reviewing the data retrieved from Cyclonus' processor failed to yield results as Optimus had hoped. The eccentric bot's sojourn through the first portal had landed him and his quarry in the middle of a cosmic cloud. In the ninety seconds prior to when Cyclonus had been tricked into stumbling through the next gate, no view of the stars could be seen through the haze. There was no way to chart where Alpha Q's base of operations was.

With a sigh, Optimus turned away from the viewscreen, rubbing at his face as he focused on the medic seated to his right. Red Alert spoke when the Autobot commander remained silent. "Seems as if Alpha Q almost expected that his troops were going to be followed," he speculated.

Optimus tilted his head downwards a notch. "Why would he allow Cyclonus the opportunity to pursue them at all? It would have been far easier to stop and see to it that he was disabled first. And then, why just let him go?" Optimus paused, sighing again "This whole thing puzzles me, Red Alert. It's almost as if Alpha Q's tactics seemed to be changing from one moment to the next… And, Cyclonus' situation certainly doesn't fit in with the abduction of Tidal Wave."

Red Alert gave this some thought, then looked up. "Well, if I have to hazard a guess… Maybe Alpha Q has a partner he's been in conflict with? Or, maybe he is so disorganized that he's, as you said, constantly altering his methods. And for all we know, maybe the intention at some point _was_ to capture Cyclonus as well." Red Alert took on a contemplative expression. "It's going to be very difficult to formulate a profile of our new enemy, based on every action that's been taken thus far."

All at once, Optimus wished that he hadn't sent Alexis or Starxis away; it would be nice to have some insurance that Alpha Q wasn't currently spying on this conversation. But then, he decided that nothing would be gained from being paranoid all the time. "I wouldn't take on that task right away, Red Alert. Not if it's going to interfere with your plan to fortify our bases."

"You have nothing to worry about in that area, sir," Red Alert answered. "I've already drawn up some schematics and sent them off to a few colleagues of mine on Cybertron. It shouldn't take long to build more than enough turrets based on the design. In the meantime, we could perhaps start digging trenches at each of our bases to place them in."

Optimus had barely nodded his agreement before there came an indication of an incoming transmission. Second later, he and Red Alert were faced with an image of Carlos Lopez on the main monitor, originating from the space station above Mars. Given that the station had been largely ignored during the initial assault, there'd been no reason to believe that it and its inhabitants wouldn't be immune from future attacks.

"What is it, Carlos?" Optimus asked.

Ever since the first few assaults, Carlos had been watching for signs of invaders by utilizing each and every satellite in the area. He was quick to report that a number of the predatory bots had appeared in the vicinity of Earth. "And this time, they don't seem to be alone," the Hispanic young man said in a rush. "There's two unknown, potentially larger, entities with them. I can't get a clear picture of who or what is accompanying them because the rest of Alpha Q's army is in the way."

Optimus tensed, not liking the sudden inclusion of a couple of mysterious players. Despite the overwhelming numbers of the predatory bots, at least they were predictable and easy to take out. "Are you able to pinpoint which base they're heading for?"

Carlos shook his head. "Not yet. Until further notice, you may want to radio to the troops at each colony so they can prepare themselves."

Optimus nodded. "We'll do that. Thank you, Carlos…"

* * *

Standing next to Hot Shot outside Desert City, Alexis watched the skies intently for any sign that an attack was imminent. Despite the fact that she was holding Starxis protectively against her chest with her left hand, she shouldn't be hindered in any way when it came to aiming and shooting with the laser rifle gripped in her right. And, there was no doubt that she and the youngling wouldn't be covered by Hot Shot or the dozen other troops milling around if they needed it.

Until Starxis looked up at her and chirped out that there "bad bots coming," Alexis had almost believed that Desert City might be in the clear. She had barely called out to her comrades that an attack was imminent before the predatory bots began to come into visual range, high in the stratosphere. At Hot Shot's order, everyone gathered raised their weapons and began firing. For a minute, it looked like they all might be okay after all.

No one saw Tidal Wave until he was nearly on top of them; for whatever reason, Starxis didn't even provide a warning that the big guy was there. As the colossal Transformer drifted in for a landing, it came as quite a shock when he opened fire on Hot Shot and his team.

Hot Shot was stunned by this turn of events, but he shook it off when he saw two soldiers at the forefront fall under the barrage of Tidal Wave's assault. He had been prepared for every contingency but this, but he sprung into action just in time. "Everybody fall back!" he shouted out, even as he began to move backwards towards the mine entrance some yards away.

In the next instant, Hot Shot was ordering anyone who was listening to concentrate their fire on Tidal Wave if possible. Catching sight of Alexis out of the corner of his optic, he turned briefly to gaze at her and noted that she looked beyond frightened. Returning his attention to both retreating and avoiding the laser blasts that were raining down, he issued an order to her to get inside the mines with the promise that he would cover her… and requested that she send a very specific message to Optimus once she was inside…

* * *

The news of the assault on their desert colony and Tidal Wave's involvement seemed to spread through Ocean City like brushfire. Even as Optimus hurried to assemble a team and head out there, he was forced to deal with a good deal of agitation from Kicker, Demolisher, and Cyclonus (the former was primarily concerned about the well-being of his human friend, Misha).

After informing the latter two that their presence had been requested in the hopes that they might be able to talk down Tidal Wave, Optimus radioed to Red Alert to find a suitable replacement for Starscream in Jungle City so he too could join them. Soon, in spite of all the obstacles, the Autobot commander and his team, consisting of Ironhide, Kicker (riding aboard Sureshock), and the two Decepticons were gathered at the Warp Gate to be transported.

Like High Wire, Sureshock had been upgraded from his moped guise of a decade before. The orange Mini-Con now sported a dune buggy as his alternate mode, which would serve Kicker well in navigating the landscape at their destination. It was also fortunate that the boy was outfitted with a suit of full body armor that his father had constructed and sent to them just yesterday. Otherwise, there was a sure risk that a stray shot from Alpha Q's army or Tidal Wave would make mincemeat of him.

Once they had stepped from the platform at their destination, Optimus, Demolisher, Cyclonus, and Ironhide switched to their respective vehicle modes, racing as fast as they could towards the mines located on the opposite side of the city. Saying a silent thanks that even Cyclonus, for all his quirks, seemed to have no trouble with keeping in line for a change, Optimus radioed ahead to Hot Shot to get a status report.

The weak, agonized tone that sounded through Optimus' comlink told him that Hot Shot had likely sustained some injuries. The latter had barely gotten out that he was positioned just inside the mine entrance before it was followed by a loud, angry crackle. Worriedly, Optimus called out Hot Shot's name once, then twice, but the silence that ensued had him suspecting that the latter had been hit with a laser blast and the radio connection had been severed.

Putting on an extra burst of speed, Optimus silently prayed, _Primus, don't tell me I just lost one of my best warriors…_

Getting Tidal Wave in their sights did nothing to ease the tension, especially when the arriving team viewed the carnage left in his wake. It was undeniable at this point that Alpha Q's army had been provided full run of the establishment, given the way the colossal Transformer had helped pave the way for an easy attack. What was even more rankling was that Tidal Wave seemed to be viewing the fallen soldiers around him with something like satisfaction.

Perhaps it was the sight of seeing one or two Decepticons amongst the dead that caused Cyclonus to open fire on Tidal Wave's unprotected back with an angry cry. Though it would take more firepower than the eccentric bot possessed to even put a dent in the big guy, Tidal Wave still retaliated by turning and taking an ineffective swipe at Cyclonus with one giant hand.

Optimus, and then Demolisher, switched back to their bot forms, drawing their own weapons and beginning to fire; the former barked out an order to Ironhide and Kicker to go help those inside the mines and\or city. Optimus briefly watched them heading in that direction before focusing wholeheartedly on the colossal Transformer in front of him. No matter what, it was imperative that Tidal Wave be taken out of play, whether it be through talking or shooting; it was probably best to try both methods in tandem.

Seconds later, Optimus had gotten close enough to the big guy to guarantee he'd be heard. "Tidal Wave," he called out. "You need to stop! You're making a mistake!"

Tidal Wave half turned in the direction of Optimus' voice, still attempting to knock Cyclonus out of the sky. "No mistake," he responded in a deep, rumbling voice. "Must have Energon. Need to revive Megatron."

Optimus blinked, certain that he could not have heard right, but all doubts of this fled when he heard Demolisher and Cyclonus echoing the colossal Transformer. Tidal Wave didn't seem to care that all three had been stunned into ceasing their attack, and this time, the swipe he took at Cyclonus effectively connected.

Optimus and Demolisher were shaken out of the stupor as their eccentric comrade spun away violently towards the ground, still in vehicle mode, with a sharp squeal. Even as they resumed firing and trying to avoid the return volley, Optimus thought, _Has Tidal Wave completely lost it?! Megatron's been dead for years…_

An instant later, Optimus froze and began throwing abbreviated glances to the surrounding area, and grew even more disturbed by what he _wasn't _seeing. _Carlos said there were __**two**__ unknown entities accompanying Alpha Q's army… So where's the other one…?

* * *

_

Thankfully, Hot Shot was still alive when Kicker and Ironhide found him, though the sparks that were periodically leaping from his chest told them he wouldn't be up to a fight anytime soon. Alerted by the sounds of their voices, Hot Shot's optics brightened so he could focus on them better.

Later on, the general consensus would be that Hot Shot was dazed to the point that he was likely unaware of who he was talking to. Propping himself up slightly on his elbows, he said, "I sent Alexis down to the processing center to protect the humans and Omnicons. She's going to need backup."

Genuinely confused as to just whom Hot Shot was talking about, Ironhide asked, "Who's Alexis?"

Kicker gazed up at Ironhide, looking just as infuriated as he was testy. "This is not the time for jokes. Now come on!" he said in a heated tone. Without waiting to see if Ironhide would comply, he gunned Sureshock's engine and took off further down the tunnel.

When Ironhide failed to move, Hot Shot got the sense that he needed to be prodded into action. "Go with Kicker." Much to his irritation, Ironhide responded to this by saying that he couldn't just leave Hot Shot alone like this. Drawing strength from the rush of anger that descended on him, Hot Shot pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Listen up, soldier," he barked out, his tone belying just how injured he must be. "I gave you an order, and I expect you to follow it! Now go help your partners!"

Ironhide nodded, so bewildered by the veracity in Hot Shot's voice that all questions over who Alexis was fled from his mind. A second later, he was moving off after Kicker…

* * *

Making her way down to the processing center, following Hot Shot's order to do so, took some time, as Alexis was forced to stop and shoot down the predatory bots that were periodically tailing her. Thankfully, the area where Misha, the other humans, and the Omnicons were stationed seemed to be safe and secure for the time being. After making sure that everyone was okay, Alexis spared a glance at her left shoulder, wincing as it flared with pain; she'd been lanced through with a stray laser blast at some point.

When she heard a noise from the tunnel she'd used to get here, Alexis spun on her heel with widened optics, cradling Starxis in one hand and aiming blindly with her laser rifle with the other. When she saw it was just Ironhide and Kicker… Well, later on, she would come to realize that she'd never been so glad to see those two. Even Sureshock, modified form and all, was a welcome sight.

Put at ease, Alexis withdrew her weapon, redirecting it so it was aimed towards the ceiling and releasing her hold on the trigger. Before she could say anything, she heard the sound of Misha's voice from up in the observation booth, causing her to look that way. The teenage girl was leaning over the control console, peering down at the new arrivals with wide eyes. "Kicker!" she blurted out, sounding greatly surprised. "What are you doing here?!"

Kicker's gaze was drawn to Misha at this point, wondering at her disbelief that he'd be participating in this battle. "That's not important!" he replied brusquely. "We've got to get out of here now! Alpha Q's bots are swarming every inch of this place, and they could be upon us at any moment!"

Given that the Omnicons had brought two cartloads of Energon here that they'd unearthed from down in the mines, Alexis was in agreement with Kicker's statement; they would be in great danger if they stayed.

Convincing the pair of mining bots of this took another minute, as they proved to be reluctant to abandon their prize. Eventually, a compromise was reached in which half of the Energon deposits would be transported by one of the Omnicons in his vehicle mode. The other Omnicon was charged with conveying the humans, save for Misha, away from here; the teenage girl elected to ride with Kicker.

Thankfully, there was a second tunnel the group could utilize in getting away from here, which Alexis and Ironhide were told led all the way out into the desert. The one downside to this was that it was too narrow for Alexis to safely navigate in her jet mode; she was forced to run as fast as she could after the convoy of ground vehicles ahead of her, though she did periodically stop to make sure they weren't being followed.

The tunnel let them all out into a desert field, and a quick look around told Alexis that the city was perhaps five miles to the east. She barely had time to see a red and white jet soaring above the establishment before it dropped down out of view. Saying a silent prayer that Optimus and his group were faring okay against Tidal Wave, she turned her attention back to her own companions and moved to catch up with them.

Until Kicker abruptly brought Sureshock to a halt (forcing the convoy behind him to either swerve or stop) and Starxis tensed against Alexis' chest, she was sure they were in the clear. With wide optics, she surveyed the landscape around her, but could see no sign that any one of Alpha Q's army was closing in.

Alexis barely had time to wonder at the tension that seemed to have taken hold of the hotheaded teenager and the youngling before the sand several yards ahead of them began roiling. Before she could even question what was causing it to churn like that, she could see that a giant metal scorpion was rising from beneath it.

The scorpion's tail soon raised itself up in a threatening manner, even as the deadly beast moved towards them. Instead of the standard stinger that could be found on the earth-based species, it was tipped with a pointed, triangular purple beam of light. A moment later, the "stinger" was being thrust towards Ironhide, who was now at the forefront of the group.

Alexis' fellow rookie barely had time to transform and leap backwards before the "stinger" plowed into the ground where he'd just been. The fact that it left an indentation in the sand around it told Alexis that it was solid enough to be dangerous. As the scorpion moved after Ironhide and tried the maneuver a second time, she quickly but gently lowered Starxis to the ground at her feet.

An instant later, Alexis was holstering her rifle and reaching for her other weapon, thinking it would be more beneficial in this instance given that the metallic scorpion looked to be heavily armored. Moving swiftly, she threw the boomerang as hard as she could, at just the right angle to achieve the desired effect. It opened a gash in the metal at the forefront of the beast's tail as it reared back for a third strike, then circled around to come to rest back in Alexis' grip. Quickly, she slipped her hands through the two niches on her weapon, preparing herself for a close-combat fight.

Oddly enough, this caused their new enemy to hesitate, as if he were confused at being attacked like this. In the next instant, he began to transform, and it wasn't long before Alexis and Ironhide were faced with an imposing green bot that was twice their size. There was something like a visor covering his face, but it was shortly raised to allow him to look at them with angry red optics. "How dare you!" he said in a loud, decidedly authoritative tone. "Do you even know who you're dealing with?"

It seemed strange that their adversary should be concerned with being treated with respect, but Alexis had been around too many bots with varying peculiarities to be fazed. "All I see is someone who's trying to kill my friends and I," she responded, refusing to be cowed. "Prove me wrong."

Their opponent only paused for a second before his expression melted into something like recognition. "I know you," he said abruptly, sounding very amused. "Both of you. Alpha Q provided quite the detailed account… Ironhide and Sky Dancer. How ironic. I'd expect that two trainees would at least be backed by a more seasoned warrior." He hesitated for another instant before saying, "And here I thought that this wasn't going to be a breeze."

At this, their enemy's gaze drifted towards Kicker and the Omnicons, and the humor in his optics shortly fled. Alexis' apprehension rose at this, as she suspected that another attempt would be made to take the boy. She feared just what might happen if she and Ironhide proved to be no match for their new opponent. More than anything, she wanted to send a telepathic message to Starscream, but realized in the same instant that there was no guarantee he'd be able to break away from the fight against Tidal Wave. Odds were great that she and Ironhide were truly on their own.

Ironhide seemed to realize their enemy's intention in the same instant, and he took a step forward, simultaneously drawing his weapon. "Don't even think about it, pal," he said. While yelling out to Kicker and the others to make a run for it, he opened fire, the laser blasts from his weapon connecting with their opponent's chest plate.

Though the shots barely left a mark, they sure seemed to anger this new enemy. He strode forward swiftly with a scowl, raising one of his clawed hands and closing it so tightly around Ironhide's wrist that it made Alexis' fellow rookie cry out. The other claw soon was wrapped threateningly around Ironhide's throat, though not firmly enough to do any serious damage. "You really shouldn't have done that," he said in a low menacing tone.

Alexis forced herself to swallow the fear she was feeling; she really couldn't afford to freeze up now. Drawing her rifle once more and praying she wasn't getting in over her head, she went airborne. She was soon hovering at a suitable level, and, trying to ignore the fact that this enemy could swat her away if he wanted to, aimed the gun squarely at his right temple. "Let him go," she said with as much bravado as she could muster.

After what seemed like a drawn-out silence, her adversary turned his head, seeming to look at her past the barrel of the rifle with an oddly amused expression. Too late, Alexis realized he was sizing her up; something in her optics or demeanor must have betrayed just how scared she was. Giving a mirthful laugh, he said, "It has been a very long time since I've seen a female of our race in combat. You must be a spirited one." He paused, then continued with, "But then, you're not really one of us, are you?"

He turned to look down at Ironhide, directing his next statement to the other trainee. "Did you know that your partner here began her life as nothing more than an ordinary human?"

Alexis froze, mind racing with all of Ironhide's possible reactions to this revelation. Given his competitive nature and ingrained dislike of her, the truth of her origins might just have a negative impact.

Averting her gaze temporarily allowed Alexis to see that Kicker and the others hadn't made any attempt to get away, and this elevated her fear exponentially. _Why didn't they make a run for it when they had the chance?_ she thought wildly, until she realized seconds later that the only place they could have escaped to was back to the tunnel they had just vacated, or further out into the desert. The path to the city was undeniably blocked by this new enemy.

Alexis' gaze was drawn back to her opponent when he spoke once more. "One thing I have never been is a brute," he said, much to her amazement. "I am not one to engage in anything other than a fair fight, and this most certainly would not be one of those. However, if you and your partner insist on continuing this, I will not be responsible for my actions." In spite of this claim, he failed to release his grip on Ironhide, though that could have been because the latter was wearing a heated expression on his face. Alexis was afraid to find out just who that anger was directed towards.

Her opponent gave another jovial laugh. "You may call me Scorpinok," he said in an infuriatingly gracious tone. "With that said, perhaps you put the gun down, Sky Dancer… or do you prefer to be called Alexis?" Without letting her answer, he went on with, "We both know you're not going to pull the trigger."

Alexis hesitated for a long, tense moment, then, taking a chance that Scorpinok was as honorable as he claimed to be, answered with, "You can be assured that if you attempt to take what belongs to us, this _will _end badly." Given the flicker of recognition in Scorpinok's optics, and the abbreviated glance he threw towards Kicker, it was obvious he knew she wasn't just referring to the Energon stash in their possession.

Ironhide spoke up at this, sounding quite incensed. "You can't be serious!" he blurted out, wincing when Scorpinok's hold on his throat tightened ever so slightly. "Don't tell me you're actually attempting to negotiate with this guy!"

Scorpinok didn't say anything for the longest time, as if he were weighing his options. At last, he offered a very faint smile and said, "I suppose Alpha Q wouldn't mind if I were to overlook such a paltry amount… this time."

Even as Alexis relaxed her hold on the rifle's trigger and began to drift away from the imposing green bot, he roughly shoved Ironhide away towards the ground. Alexis was prepared to go to her partner's side when Scorpinok surprised her once more with his next action.

As Alexis watched with widened optics, this new enemy transformed, not into a scorpion but into a sort of intergalactic fighter jet. Until that instant, she'd not thought it possible for a Transformer to have more than one alternate mode. For a moment, she watched Scorpinok soar away swiftly, in the direction of Desert City, until the sound of Ironhide's voice drew her attention.

"Why didn't you back me up before he got me pinned?!" Ironhide said heatedly. "We could have taken him by working together!"

Alexis scowled, though she was too weary to argue at this point; she had a sneaking suspicion that her partner's real reason for being angry with her was being masked anyway. "I'm not in the mood to fight with you over battle strategies," she said tersely. "Now come on. We need to get back to the city." Without letting him answer, she switched to her jet mode and soared skyward; Starxis soon spread his own wings and trailed her.

However, Alexis did spend a few seconds hovering over the area until she saw that her companions were continuing along the path to the colony.

A subsequent look at the eastern horizon told Alexis that Tidal Wave and the remainder of Alpha Q's army were soaring away into the stratosphere, led by Scorpinok. Feeling a sense of relief that the battle seemed to be over, she took off for the establishment at full speed, trusting that Ironhide and Kicker would be alright.

Optimus, Starscream, and Demolisher all seemed to be in dire spirits when Alexis joined them, completing her landing by switching to her bot mode in mid air and drifting down. Concerned by their attitudes, and by the fact that Starscream appeared too numb to even realize she was there, she threw a brief glance at Cyclonus. It took her a moment to figure out the eccentric bot was unconscious as he was still in his copter mode; the extensive damage to his frame sure suggested he must be down for the count.

Optimus looked up at Alexis' inquiries into what had happened. Appearing uncomfortable, he threw a glance at Starscream, and then Demolisher, as if he hoped that they might answer for him. At last, he sighed, turning his gaze her way. "We found out how Alpha Q got Tidal Wave working for him… It seems that the latter is under the impression is Megatron is still alive." Optimus paused, rubbing at his face with one hand. "Nothing we say could sway him from this belief."

Demolisher looked up, inspired to throw in his own two cents. In a gruff tone, he said, "I'd sure like to get my hands on this Alpha Q. How dare he resort to such a cruel trick!" Demolisher paused, then looked towards Optimus. "I mean, there's no way Megatron survived what happened, right? It's the only way that Unicron could have been defeated and sent back into exile."

Optimus nodded absently. A moment later, he seemed to regain enough of his senses to remember that there were more pressing issues to take care of. It took three tries for him to get Starscream's attention, given that the latter was so lost in thought. Once that was accomplished, he directed Starscream to go help Hot Shot, then turned to Demolisher and quietly asked him to see to Cyclonus.

It didn't take Optimus and his group very long to transport back to Ocean City. As she stepped from the Warp Gate platform, Alexis was warmed by overhearing Kicker say to Misha that he was glad she was okay. The surreptitious look she threw at the two teenagers allowed her to see the shy, affectionate smile that Misha offered him in return. It brought back fond memories for Alexis of how it felt, experiencing the first hints of love.

Alexis' sentimental mood died when she turned away from the two teenagers and her gaze locked with Ironhide's. She had been unsure of what his reaction would be (she still wasn't) now that he knew of her origins, but the scathing look he gave her prior to turning and walking away couldn't be good.

Even though the wound on her shoulder wasn't that terrible, and in fact paled in comparison with the injuries sustained by Hot Shot and Cyclonus, she still found herself going to the med bay at Starscream's insistence so she could be patched up. Figuring that his attitude may be stemming from the stress over the situation with Tidal Wave and the "revelations" learned therein, Alexis chose not to argue with him over the issue.

At the moment, she and Starscream were sequestered behind a curtained divider that Red Alert had set up while he worked on his other patients. Though the two of them could still, as always, hear each other's every thought, she felt compelled to put his mind at ease, speaking in a hushed tone. Reaching out and laying one hand against his face, Alexis said, "You know it has to be a lie. Demolisher even said so himself… There's no way Megatron could still be alive."

Starscream shook his head, giving a deep sigh. "I know," he said after a moment. "But I also know that, even though Tidal Wave may not be the brightest of the bunch, he's not a complete fool either. Even he would require proof of these claims… I'm just concerned about what kind of evidence Alpha Q offered him, or where he got it from."

Alexis took a few seconds to mull that over before looking down at Starxis. However, the youngling provided an answer to her question before she voiced it. "Couldn't read scorpion's mind," he said in his usual chirpy tone.

Alexis blinked, caught off guard by this declaration. "How's that?" she asked after a brief pause. "You've never had that problem before!"

Starxis tilted his head to gaze at her, a worried look in his large green eyes that had Alexis stroking his fur in a reassuring manner. "Mental blocks. Highly skilled," was all he said, but it told his adopted parents volumes.

Alexis sighed, slumping her shoulders. "I guess we figure this out the old-fashioned way then. Through observation and speculation," she said in a weary tone. After a moment, she continued with, "I sure picked a great time to join the ranks of the Transformers. If I'd known we'd be facing the onset of another war, I would have held off, or at least had second thoughts about training to be a soldier…"

Starscream silenced her by placing one finger under her chin, tilting her head up so their gazes were locked. "Hey, none of that," he said in a light tone. "You are exactly who you are meant to be, no question." He paused, appearing a lot more relaxed now that she'd gotten him talking. "You did good out there today, Alexis. You kept Kicker and the others alive and safe. That's all that matters."

Alexis smiled slightly, touched by the assessment. With a sigh, she replied with, "I doubt Ironhide's going to see it that way. Learning of my origins seems to have gotten him all irritated for some reason."

"If you'd like me to talk to him…" Starscream started, breaking off when she abruptly shook her head.

"It'd be better coming from me. This is something my partner and I will have to work out amongst ourselves," Alexis answered.

Starscream hesitated, then gave a consenting nod, leaning in to plant a tender kiss against her lips. He and Alexis spent another few minutes in idle chatter before Starscream announced he had best go have a talk with Demolisher to address some of the issues raised in this latest fight. Alexis soon sent him on his way with the promise that she would stay put until Red Alert could get to her.

Getting the sense that it may take a while before the medic was finished with repairing the damage done to Hot Shot and Cyclonus, Alexis lay down on the bunk, hugging Starxis gently against her. Dimming her optics, she decided to get some rest in the interim; even as she drifted off, her mind was adrift with all the questions that would probably take some time to get answered…

* * *

In all the time that Alpha Q had known Scorpinok, he had never seen his friend and confidant take an interest in very many things, let alone associate with anyone outside the palace. How intriguing it was then, that Scorpinok should be so fascinated with the girl, Sky Dancer, that he'd requested for Alpha Q to open a window displaying a picture of her -- a still photo taken from a prior battle -- for him to study at his leisure.

Sideways was currently the only one bearing witness to Scorpinok's vigil in this lonely, narrow corridor, as Alpha Q had retreated to his own domain, and Tidal Wave had elected to "spend time" with Megatron. Briefly, Sideways wondered if the colossal Transformer even had any misgivings about being inside the remains of Unicron, the very entity that had once threatened to exterminate him and his entire race, but then figured that perhaps Tidal Wave didn't recognize these ruins for what they were.

At last, Sideways decided he was bored enough to remark to Scorpinok, "You would think that you've never seen a female Transformer before. As I recall, your world wasn't exactly lacking in them prior to being destroyed."

Without moving his gaze from the freestanding viewscreen, Scorpinok spoke, though the words suggested he'd offer nothing on why the girl fascinated him so much. "It's easy to see why he doesn't much like you," Scorpinok said, undoubtedly speaking of Alpha Q. "You're too uncouth for his tastes, or even mine, for that matter."

Sideways snorted. "Is there a reason why I should care what you or that maniac you serve think of me?"

Scorpinok remained silent for a long time, his expression unreadable. "I'm curious as to how you came to be working for Unicron," he said abruptly, turning away from the viewscreen. Even though he had been clued in about Sideways' background by Alpha Q, he preferred to hear it from the horse's mouth, so to speak. "What would you have gotten out of the deal, if things had gone according to plan?"

Sideways tilted his head slightly to the side, looking downright irritated. "What's it to you?!" he said guardedly.

Scorpinok shrugged. "I'm just someone who looks beneath the surface. And what I see is a fellow Transformer who's wasting his time on a lost cause." He paused, then continued with, "When you're ready to view your partnership with Unicron as just that, I'll be here."

Sideways snorted again, disbelieving what he was hearing. "How dare you presume to think I'd ally myself with the likes of you!" he said angrily. "I hardly see you or Alpha Q presenting me with a better offer to achieve my personal goals!" With that, Sideways turned on his heel, storming off down the corridor.

Scorpinok let out a deep breath, turning back to the viewscreen while murmuring, "Take your time, Sideways. You may change your mind yet…"

With that said, Scorpinok resumed studying the frozen image of Alexis/Sky Dancer, in an almost reverent manner. He didn't know how long he stood there -- maybe a couple minutes, or maybe several hours -- but Scorpinok eventually squared his shoulders and remarked, "If only you knew just how much potential you held inside…"


	9. Damage Control

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Eight

Until Red Alert came to wake her with the announcement that he was finished seeing to his other patients, Alexis wasn't sure how long she'd been offline. Wearily, she sat up, cradling the youngling in her hands, and responded to the medic's slightly annoyed remark with, "I know I'm not that badly hurt, but Starscream insisted I get it repaired anyway. I'm not about to argue with him just now."

Red Alert sighed, stepping away momentarily to retrieve whatever tools he'd need. For a long while, he and Alexis were silent while he worked on her, but she eventually broke it by tentatively saying, "You must have heard by now what happened…"

For several seconds, Red Alert stopped what he was doing, frozen in place. The glance that Alexis threw at him showed her he was wearing a blank expression, but it was gone almost as quickly as it came. He sighed again, resuming his work. "I have," he said quietly. "And, as I've said to everyone else who's brought it up, I'm inclined to think that this Alpha Q may have somehow gotten ahold of Megatron's remains. What else could make Tidal Wave believe such a lie?"

Alexis bowed her head, her gaze focusing on Starxis even as the youngling turned his head to look up at her. "Well, we know that Alpha Q is looking to restore life to someone. Couldn't that…?"

Red Alert shook his head, cutting her off. "There are ways to restore a Transformer to life once he or she has passed on, in a manner of speaking, but imbuing them with a vast amount of Energon is not one such method… Megatron's lifeforce would have fled his body just moments after he died. He could be revived if one were to place a brand new spark inside him, but it would essentially no longer be him."

Alexis nodded to display her understanding. "Different spark, different personality," she murmured thoughtfully. After a short silence, she said, "Well, who's to say that's not what we're looking at? For all we know, Alpha Q could have done just that."

Red Alert shook his head again. "If that were the case, it wouldn't make sense for Alpha Q to steal as much Energon as he has thus far. He would only need a small fraction of what's been taken if it's Megatron he's looking to restore to life…" At this, the medic froze once more, his optics widening as his own words sparked an idea he didn't much like.

Alexis was hit with the same realization at the same instant. After a second or two, she began shaking so badly that Red Alert was forced to withdraw his hands once more. "No," she said, sounding a touch hysterical. It was perhaps a normal reaction given that last time around, Starscream had come quite close to dying because of Unicron. "It's even more improbable that that monster could be back, right?!"

Red Alert looked downwards briefly, then hesitantly said, "That might make sense if Unicron has devised a new means of growing in power and is stealing from us to do so. For all we know, he may have contracted this Alpha Q into helping him just as he'd done with Sideways." The medic glanced briefly at Starxis before gazing back at her. "But then, according to our little friend here, the purpose of these thefts is to restore life to someone. And I doubt that's something that an omnipotent being like Unicron even needs… Remember, we defeated him, we didn't kill him."

Alexis took a moment to let that sink in, then nodded her agreement and took a deep breath to try and calm herself. Seeing this, Red Alert asked lightly, "Okay, now if we're both done getting sidetracked, it will only take me a couple minutes to finish up."

Alexis nodded again and did her best to stay still while he finished patching her shoulder. When he shortly gave her a clean bill of health, she went on to say, "Do you think Optimus would mind if I stepped outside for a short while? I think the fresh air might do me good right now."

Red Alert looked up from the workstation where he'd moved towards to clean and replace his tools. Though he appeared hesitant to grant her permission, he still said it would be fine so long as she didn't wander too far away and would be prepared to come back at a moment's notice if needed.

The last thing that Alexis expected, as she neared one of the airlocks (mostly utilized by human deep sea divers, camera-rigged submersibles, or a couple of aquatic-ready Transformers who'd wanted to go exploring, when Ocean City was underwater), was to suddenly be accosted. She had just got the inner door opened when a noise from the corridor behind her drew her attention, and she turned to see Ironhide watching her with the angered expression he'd been wearing ever since he'd discovered her origins.

When he spoke, it was in a surprisingly quiet tone, but it gave her an inkling of just why he was so riled. "Tell me -- is it common for human females to want to avoid fighting at all costs?"

Alexis blinked, thinking, _Is that really his explanation for what happened out there today?!_ Out loud, she said, after taking a moment to regain her composure, "Just because I fell back on a peaceful solution, it doesn't mean I'm not a capable soldier. Not all of us fight our battles in the same way, Ironhide."

He gave a short, dry laugh. "Fine. If you think you're capable, how about proving it?"

Alexis stared at him for a long moment, then, narrowing her optics to mere slits, answered, "I don't have to prove anything to you."

Ironhide smirked. "Then I'd say you just confirmed I'm right," he said, infuriating her with the smugness in his tone.

It took Alexis everything she had to maintain her calm and collected veneer. "I am not going to get into this with you," she said simply, then turned, stepping through the threshold and moving to the outer door to open it.

She had just twisted the locking mechanism in the center of the outer door and pushed it open when a laser blast struck the wall just inches away from her head, setting off a shower of sparks. This drew a frightened chirp from the youngling perched on her right shoulder; she would guess later on that Ironhide had acted too quickly for Starxis to provide a warning that this was coming.

Alexis spun on her heel and reached out to grip the sides of the doorframe in fright, fearful of how close her "partner" had come to hitting Starxis. Mentally ordering the youngling to climb down onto her back so he'd be out of the line of fire, she said, in a low dangerous tone, "You don't want to start this, Ironhide! Back down now!" In some part of her mind, she knew that the sound of that single shot would be sufficient to raise alarms in the command center; it wouldn't be very long before she and Ironhide were found, so she'd just have to hold out until then.

Yet, when her "partner" drew his sword, Alexis knew this was going to get deadly and fast. Quickly, she backpedaled, making her way through the outer door as quickly as she could before detaching her quarterstaff weapon and bringing it to the forefront. She was just in time, as Ironhide pursued and took a swing at her which she sufficiently blocked. Quickly, Alexis shoved the quarterstaff towards Ironhide while his weapon and hers were still interlocked; it was sufficient to knock him off balance.

In the next instant, she pivoted with the intention of making a run for it and/or taking to the skies so he'd be unable to follow. It didn't help that she and Ironhide were underneath a massive overhang that made it impossible for her to go airborne at the moment. Alexis hadn't gotten far when she heard Starxis suddenly screeching at her back, digging his claws further into her metal chassis and making her pivot once more to see what had happened.

The fact that Ironhide was holding a patch of brown fur, undoubtedly yanked from her adopted child, in no way helped matters. In some part of her mind, Alexis knew it had to have been an accident, as Ironhide had undoubtedly tried making a grab for her. However, if there were anything that would have incited Alexis' anger to immeasurable heights, it would have been the notion that Starxis was being harmed.

With an angry cry, Alexis raised her quarterstaff once more and dove towards Ironhide, all thoughts of merely getting away from him instantly banished from her mind…

*****

It had been a very long time since Cyclonus had been subjected to a good fight. Like Alexis, he had wanted to escape to the outdoors following his time in the med-bay. It was, perhaps, a quirk shared by any and all aerial Transformers, the desire to be in view of the sky and knowing they could go flying if it suited them.

At the time he caught sight of Alexis and Ironhide, just seconds after they emerged from beneath the overhang, Cyclonus had been seated on one of the highest spires of Ocean City, enjoying the view. Once he realized that the two were engaged in battle, he sprung into action, going airborne and soaring in to get a closer look.

As he settled in for a landing on an overhang overlooking the fight, Cyclonus gave a delighted cackle. There was truly nothing better than viewing two soldiers on the same team going at it! The last time he had bore witness to such a thing was when Starscream and Megatron had gotten into a scuffle, a little over a decade prior.

Cyclonus didn't know (or care) what had instigated this, nor did he know Ironhide and Alexis well enough to recognize why either of them was so cheesed off. All he cared about, as a gleeful spectator, was that Alexis seemed to have the upper hand, and Cyclonus couldn't resist adding his own unique commentary.

"You go, girl!" Cyclonus called out, mildly surprised when Alexis didn't provide any indication that she'd heard him. "Kick his aft!"

Ironhide, on the other hand, did appear to be listening, and he turned to regard Cyclonus with widened optics. Even this momentary distraction proved to be his undoing, as Alexis swiped him across the chest with her weapon; the edges of her quarterstaff-like device was sharp enough that it left a good-sized scratch along Ironhide's chest plate.

Ironhide retaliated a second or two later by getting a grip on Alexis' weapon and fighting to get it away from her. Despite her attempts to yank it free of his hands, Alexis soon got the notion that this was fruitless. Once more, she shoved the quarterstaff in her "partner's" direction, catching him off guard and striking him in the stomach area. In the same instant, Alexis released her hold on the weapon and swiftly followed up that attack by throwing a punch at Ironhide's face.

Somewhere over the course of several minutes, from the beginning of this scuffle to now, Alexis' anger at her "partner" had overwhelmed her. What had begun as a reaction to the threat Ironhide posed to her child's well-being was currently lost under the heat of all that until-now suppressed fury. Right now, all she could seem to concentrate on was the nerve her "partner" had in, time and again, challenging her capabilities and how she'd now love nothing more than to prove him wrong.

Somehow, Alexis had managed to get Ironhide in a headlock and was vaguely aware that Cyclonus was still "egging" her on in the background, when the fight was forcefully brought to an end.

When she felt someone grab her around the shoulders and a second pair of hands snaked in to pry her arms away from Ironhide, Alexis only then registered that Optimus was present. The sight of the Autobot leader standing several yards in front of her and fixing her with a dark, infuriated expression was sufficient to take the last vestiges of the fight out of her. Even as she registered that Cyclonus had wisely fallen silent at some point (and maybe even made himself scarce so he wouldn't have to answer for his actions), Alexis relaxed enough to allow Hot Shot and Red Alert to separate her and her "partner."

Bowing her head under the weight of Optimus' stare as a rush of shame descended on her, Alexis could only think, _What have I done…?!_

*****

Among its many uses (such as being a good source of power and medicine), Energon could also be refined to make a good alcoholic beverage, as far as the Transformers went; the same substance could very well be toxic to humans. And right now, Starscream and Demolisher had decided that a few rounds of High Grade, such as the most potent drink was called, would serve them well at this point.

The two of them were currently sequestered within one of the lounges in Ocean City. There had been some concern, before they'd started on this binge, on what Optimus might do if another raid came about and they were incapacitated, but that worry was long gone after only an hour.

Sprawled out on one of the settees with a near-empty decanter held loosely in his right hand, Starscream turned his head languidly in Demolisher's direction when the latter spoke. "You know, I don't think I ever once asked Tidal Wave how he felt, about losing Megatron," Demolisher was saying in a slurred tone. Had Starscream been sober, he might have found it amazing the hard-edged bot was able to sit upright given the way he'd been knocking them back. "Maybe, if I had done so, this wouldn't be happening now."

Starscream shifted slightly to make himself a little more comfortable. "You can't blame yourself for what the big lout did, or what he was coerced into," the jet responded, raising his head to take one more small swig. "I think Tidal Wave would have gotten suckered either way." There was a slight pause, then Starscream continued with, "What about you, Demolisher? You've barely talked about how you've been taking Megatron's death, since it happened."

Demolisher hesitated, staring into the empty carafe he held in one hand and wishing he hadn't run out; he wanted nothing more than to get completely drunk right now. The fact that he was still able to think in a semi-legibly manner told him he hadn't had enough. Still, the alcohol he'd imbibed thus far went a long way towards loosening his lips. "It was hard to take at first," he said. "But I've since realized there was no other way to deprive Unicron of his power source… And now…" He paused, then lifted his head to look at Starscream. "It could just as easily have been you who died that day. I'm glad you're still here, Starscream. If I'd had to choose between you and Megatron, knowing what I know now, you'd win hands down."

Starscream paused, slightly thrown by this admission. "You really wouldn't want him back, if such a thing were possible…?" he said, vaguely aware of a faint screeching sound from somewhere in the distance.

Demolisher shook his head, looking somewhat tipsy even as he did so. "Nobody could have done a better job at keeping the peace between the two sides like you have… That, and I don't think I've ever had someone I'd truly call a friend until you. Cyclonus is good for playful banter and all, but…" Demolisher paused, then went on with, "And to be honest, I don't exactly miss being yelled at or smacked around by Megatron when he was in one of his moods… which was quite frequently." There was another pause, during which he and Starscream noticed that the faint screeching from somewhere outside this room seemed to be getting louder. With wide optics, Demolisher asked, "Whazzat…?"

Starscream was silent for a few seconds, his head clearing a little as he began to recognize the source of the shrieking; he had heard it enough times before. He quickly sat up straight on the futon, putting one hand to his head as it began to spin. When he started to feel better, he looked up and spoke a single word, in a questioning manner. "Starxis?!"

This question was answered when Hot Shot entered the lounge, looking quite irate and holding a rather frantic youngling firmly in both hands. Upon seeing Starscream was here, he loosened his grip on Starxis, allowing the little guy to run to his adopted father. "It's about time," Hot Shot said in an irritated tone, even as Starscream set about calming Starxis down. Making a wild gesture to his chest plate, which appeared to be badly scratched up, Hot Shot continued with, "Remind me never to separate Starxis from you or Alexis again…"

Starscream's expression melted into confusion, and his head cleared even further at the mention of Alexis. Before he could say a word, Hot Shot took in the sight of the empty High Grade bottles and the state that he and Demolisher were in, and this seemed to add to the agitation the impetuous bot was experiencing. "Perfect!" Hot Shot spat out. "As if we needed the two of you getting intoxicated on top of everything else!" There was a slight pause, then, "If Optimus sees you both like this, he's going to be even more steaming mad than he already is…"

Starscream cleared his throat, exchanging a glance with a blurry-opticed Demolisher. "What's going on, Hot Shot? When I left Alexis in the med-bay, she was…" He froze, blinking once as all the worst-case scenarios began to run through his head. "Is she okay?!"

Hot Shot's next words caught both Starscream and Demolisher completely off guard and necessitated another thirty minutes of explanation (hampered somewhat by the fact that some parts needed to be said more than once for the latter's benefit). "Other than beating the slag out of Ironhide and being sentenced to a night in the brig along with her partner, she's perfectly fine…"

*****

Replenishing the ranks of the Terrorcon army was no challenge; Scorpinok had seen to it once he'd decided he was done with his contemplative study of the girl. What did prove to be an ordeal was the argument with Alpha Q that followed. Ordinarily, Scorpinok had no problem following the orders given by his sovereign, but only so long as they were within reason. And right now, Alpha Q's demand that they commence with another raid straightaway was beginning to open Scorpinok's optics to the madness that had taken hold of his companion.

Kneeling before Alpha Q with his head bowed, Scorpinok easily slipped back into his role as advisor, wondering how many times he'd tried to instruct Alpha Q on what it took to be a great ruler. But then, the bot before him was still young, and was far removed from the other monarchs that Scorpinok had seen in power on their home planet through the ages.

Quietly, Scorpinok said, hoping that he'd get through to the young ruler, "Have I not taught you patience and to develop a good strategy before leaping into the thick of things?" When no answer was forthcoming, Scorpinok went on with, "Forgive me for saying, my liege, but I fear you have gotten too embroiled in your own goals to treat this situation with the rationality and subtlety that it deserved. And now, it may be too late to negotiate a peace treaty with our Cybertronian cousins."

Standing in the nearby shadows, Sideways cocked his head slightly to the left, his curiosity roused by this statement. Blinking several times in quick succession, he wondered if he'd been wrong in his belief that Alpha Q had been looking to wield Unicron as a weapon. If that were the case, then a peaceful resolution with Optimus Prime and the Transformers would surely be impossible; the last thing the Autobots and/or Decepticons would want was for Unicron to come after them, in any form.

If anything, Alpha Q seemed to be enraged by his subordinate's show of defiance, if the statements issued by his multiple personas was any indication. The spindly bot's interior heads (save for Nonchalant, who for some reason or other remained silent) were so collectively against this that it scarcely mattered which one was speaking. "We have no need of a truce with those we are stealing from," Alpha Q said in a strict tone. "We will not run the risk of being betrayed and having the Transformers take Unicron away from us! Our efforts will all be for nothing if he is destroyed!"

After a slight hesitation, Alpha Q continued with, "When I took the throne, you swore an oath of loyalty to me and me alone, Scorpinok. Do not dare think of going against me on this!"

Scorpinok sighed, seeing no option but to back down. "Very well, your Excellency," he replied. He may not like this turn of events, but nothing good could be gained by pressing the issue. He'd just have to be patient and look for different angles to hopefully bring an end to this conflict before it got even further out of hand. "Tell me what it is you wish me to do…"

*****

Under any other circumstances, Alexis might not have minded being confined to the brig for a full twelve hours, but being stuck in a cell parallel to Ironhide's after the scuffle they'd just gotten into was grating on her nerves. Before leaving the two of them to their own devices, Optimus had said simply that they shouldn't expect any visitors for the duration and advised them in his sternest, angriest tone that they'd do well to work out whatever the problem was.

Seated on the steel bunk affixed to the wall, Alexis bowed her head just seconds after the Autobot commander had stepped out of sight, feeling downright ashamed of herself. Sure, her initial instinct to put Ironhide down was that of a mother protecting her child, but she should have known better than to let it go any further than that. There was no excuse for allowing her irritation over her partner's attitude to get the best of her.

Alexis shivered ever so slightly when she suddenly heard Starscream's voice in her mind, and she lowered her head even further to prevent her partner to see the turmoil in her optics. _What in the world happened, Alexis?! _Starscream was asking, his voice sounding slightly slurred. _Hot Shot said you beat up Ironhide!?_

Alexis dimmed her optics, fighting to keep ahold of herself; she felt bad enough as it was. _I made a mistake,_ was all she offered by way of a reply. After a long pause, she asked, _How's Starxis?_

_He's fine… I noticed he was bleeding a little, but he seems to be healing okay. Did Ironhide do something to him? Is that what started this?_

Alexis sighed softly, feeling cold inside. _Yes,_ she reluctantly answered. _But it's not what ended it…_ She paused again, wondering at the odd note in his voice before realizing just where she'd heard such a tone before. _Are you drunk?_ she asked, and would have followed it with an ironic laugh had the situation not been so serious. When he answered yes, she answered simply, _Seems we both need a time out then… Don't worry about me, Starscream. I'll be alright… I'll see you tomorrow when we're both feeling better._

_If you're sure… _he started, only to have Alexis cut him off.

_I'm sure… And we shouldn't be talking like this anyway. It kinda goes against Optimus' mandate that Ironhide and I aren't to have any outside contact._

Starscream gave a short laugh, proving that he was clear-headed and reasonable enough with his next statement. _Good luck working things out with him then… See you in the morning._

Alexis sent out one last telepathic message, though she was never sure afterwards if Starscream received it or not. _Thanks. I love you…_

Past that, Alexis didn't know how long it took to work up the nerve to actually look at Ironhide. Once she raised her head to gaze into the cell across the way, she found that her partner was lying on his side on his own bunk with his back to her. Unsure if he was awake or not, she proceeded with periodically calling out his name in the hopes of getting his attention.

It seemed that Alexis might be wasting her time until Ironhide suddenly flopped over onto his back, looking downright irritated as he fixed his gaze on her. "What?!" he barked out, making her cringe with the amount of anger in his tone. "I'm trying to sleep here!"

Alexis' guilt over what she'd done was gone in an instant at those words, to be replaced by a rush of anger. When she spoke, she saw fit to work in what counted as profanity amongst the Transformers; it was likely Starscream would be swelling with pride if he could hear her now. "Too bad, you slagging aft!" she shouted, causing Ironhide to regard her with widened optics. "You asked for this when you chose to pick a fight with me!" She paused for a second or two to allow that to sink in, then continued with, "So, why don't we start with… you have no right to pass judgment on me based on where I came from!"

For a moment, it seemed that all Ironhide could do was gape at her, but he eventually answered with, "And you think you have a right to pretend you're just as worthy as the rest of us?! This Scorpinok had it right -- you're not one of us! You couldn't possibly know what it takes to be a warrior!"

Had Alexis not been deprived of her weapons prior to being thrown in confinement, it was likely she would have killed him for that remark. Trading Cybertronian profanity for human-based ones, she said, "God, how dense are you?! In case you hadn't noticed, humans have their own military unit just like the Transformers! One way or another, I was going to become a soldier. I just decided it was going to be among you and your people!"

When there was no reply forthcoming, Alexis sighed and decided she just might be better off to give him something to mull over. "Humans are not and have never been as useless as you like to think, Ironhide. Take it from the one who coerced a Decepticon tyrant into a peace treaty and played a part in taking down a vengeful god like Unicron." With that said, Alexis turned away and lay down on her bunk with her back facing him, already in anticipation for when he'd take the initiative to continue their conversation…

*****

Seeing as they were now "lacking" four of their troops, Hot Shot, in anticipation for another attack, had sent a special request to an old friend on Cybertron to provide temporary aid until they could get back on their feet. Much to his relief, the request was accepted, and the new temp was transported to Ocean City within the hour.

Still, telling Optimus what Starscream and Demolisher had gotten themselves into was the hardest thing that Hot Shot had ever had to do, as he'd not wanted to add to the stress generated over the past twelve hours. And yet, there was no other way to explain Scavenger's presence here on Earth.

Currently, Hot Shot and Scavenger were meeting privately with the Autobot commander, just moments after the latter had finished debriefing Kicker and Misha on the events at Desert City. While Optimus did get even more irritated in light of this revelation, it was tempered by what Scavenger (as one of the oldest living of the Transformers) had to say, once he'd been told all details of the raids thus far.

"Scorpinok…" Scavenger murmured thoughtfully, his brow furrowed as if he were trying to recall a distant memory. After a long moment, he added, "I think I know that name… If I remember right, he used to be a resident of Cybertron, a very long time ago. He and a group of others were driven away from the planet once the war began, because they had no taste for bloodshed… This is based on what I've heard. I don't recall ever actually socializing with him."

"Seems this Scorpinok's conviction on that point has since dwindled," Hot Shot commented. "He seemed to have no trouble setting Tidal Wave loose on us, or attempting to kill one of our rookies all on his own."

Scavenger hesitated, thoughtfully rubbing at his chin with one hand. "That might make sense, if he is acting under someone else's orders. Odds are, it's Alpha Q that's running the show." Scavenger paused, then added, "Unfortunate as it may be, sometimes even the most honorable soldier can't go against what his superior wants."

Optimus gave a deep sigh, and had barely thanked Scavenger for his input when an alarm began blaring around them to announce that yet another raid was currently taking place. Despite his surprise over how quickly this one had been initiated, let alone that it was happening in the dead of night, Optimus was quick to organize any and all of his elite team members that weren't otherwise "occupied."

It was perhaps unfortunate that the only present aerial soldier that Optimus had to draw upon was Cyclonus. While Jetfire was already stationed in Plains City, the colony that was currently being targeted by Alpha Q's army, it wouldn't be fair to ask him to take on Scorpinok and Tidal Wave all by his lonesome should they be airborne.

What was perhaps even more unfortunate was that Starscream and Demolisher had not thought to include Cyclonus on their binge. While it wouldn't have been a good thing for one more member of the Transformers to be laid up in this way, it might have guaranteed that Cyclonus wouldn't do anything stupid or rash during said fight.

Ever since Tidal Wave's startling claim that Megatron still lived, Cyclonus had been given more than enough time to do nothing but mull it over, while he'd been waiting for Red Alert to fix him. Consequently, he'd eventually been plagued with doubt and curiosity over what proof the big guy had been offered.

Despite the fact that his spark wasn't fully in it, Cyclonus did busy himself with blasting away at the metallic raptors hovering over Plains City, though it was somewhat difficult to see them given how dark it was; there was no moon out this evening. Had anyone been listening, they might have questioned why Cyclonus wasn't his usual self and why he wasn't whooping or cackling in delight.

Cyclonus was so distracted that it was lucky he was able to avoid Tidal Wave's taking a swing at him. A second later, the eccentric bot had transformed from his vehicle mode, and quickly backed up when the big guy threw another punch. "Watch it!" Cyclonus squealed. "We're on the same side, you big lugnut! Or did Scorpinok steal your memories along with your common sense?!"

Though this got Tidal Wave to stop his attempts to knock Cyclonus out of the sky (again!), the big guy looked slightly uncertain as to whether or not this was the right course of action. Briefly, he looked downwards, and Cyclonus followed his gaze, to see how the battle was progressing. Looking back up, Tidal Wave said, "Need Energon to resurrect Megatron…"

Cyclonus could scarcely believe his audio receptors. "Get a clue, Tidal Wave! Scorpinok led you to believe that Megatron's still alive to use you!"

The big guy tilted his head slightly to one side. "Tidal Wave is not lying. Has been given proof." A slight pause, then, "Have seen Megatron with own optics."

Cyclonus hesitated, the doubt he'd been feeling increasing greatly at this proclamation. For the longest time, he said and did nothing, simply staring across at Tidal Wave in the darkness. At last, he transformed back into his copter mode, and readied his laser guns to fire a shot. Tidal Wave looked prepared to retaliate when Cyclonus suddenly wheeled around 180 degrees and banked forward towards the ground.

Even though Cyclonus might have been rationalizing his actions by telling himself that going with Tidal Wave and Scorpinok following the raid may be the best way to unravel the deception (if indeed Tidal Wave was being duped), it made no difference to the Autobots at ground level he was shooting at.

As far as Optimus, Hot Shot, Scavenger, and Jetfire were concerned, Cyclonus had just officially declared himself a traitor…

*****

Following her declaration of past accomplishments designed to arouse her partner's curiosity, Alexis was surprised that Ironhide remained silent as long as he did. However, she was so determined not to make the first move that she chose to leave him to his own thoughts. If need be, she could always request to Optimus the next morning that she and her partner be given some more time to work out the conflict between them.

In the interim, Alexis's thoughts eventually began to drift and she found herself wondering if there was a way for her to get her own temper under control. The last thing she (or anyone else) needed was to have another incident like the one from earlier this evening.

She was just starting to muse that asking Optimus or Starscream how they had managed to suppress their own emotions while in battle might be a good starting point when she heard Ironhide shifting on his bunk and speaking for the first time in several hours.

"There's no way you could have gone head to head against someone like Megatron and lived to tell about it," Ironhide said, making Alexis turn to look at him. He was now lying on his side facing her, head leaned against one propped up hand. "Word has it he'd have just as soon have squashed humans as look at them."

Alexis maneuvered so she was lying on her back, encouraged that her partner sounded a lot calmer now. "That may be so, but even Megatron, for all his faults, wasn't entirely lacking in restraint. If he'd really wanted to, he would have made it a point to take out my human friends and I a long time ago." She paused, then went on with, "In either case, I had a little help in ensuring that Megatron and I would be able to speak on even terms without him being able to harm me." Noticing an odd flicker in Ironhide's optics, she quickly said, "That doesn't change the fact that I'm still the one who got through to him and helped put an end to the war… You can ask any one of our superiors if you don't believe me."

Ironhide remained silent for a bit, his optics cast downwards towards the floor, as if he needed time to fully process this. Without waiting for him to formulate a response, Alexis chose to kick off in a new direction, deciding she was done with subtleties and may as well get to the root of the problem. "Are you even aware of how alike you and Megatron are, Ironhide?"

Ironhide recoiled at these words, looking downright offended. "Are you nuts?!" he blurted out. "I'm nothing like him!"

Alexis shook her head vehemently. "You're **everything** like him!" she countered in a loud, angry tone. After a slight hesitation, she said, "For starters, let's look at this superiority complex you seem to be suffering from…" When he started to deny that he had such a problem, Alexis cut him off. "Then explain why you have very little regard for me and Kicker, or any other humans, for that matter. Even in this last battle, you were more concerned about taking Scorpinok down than actually safeguarding those you were charged to protect."

Alexis paused once more, rubbing at her face with both hands and feeling suddenly weary. "The reason Optimus assigned you to work with Kicker and I was because he hoped you might learn from the experience. Instead, all you've been doing for every battle, Ironhide, is going against everything the Autobot team stands for," she said. She waited another moment to give that enough time to sink in before adding, "I'm starting to wonder if Optimus maybe gave you too much credit. Unless you decide you'd rather be blacklisted entirely from being a soldier, then you need to start thinking about someone other than yourself!"

Ironhide was silent for so long following this declaration that Alexis eventually averted her gaze to look up at the ceiling, wondering if anything she'd said had penetrated that thick metal skull of his. She was even prepared to dim her optics and maybe try to get some sleep when he suddenly spoke.

"How'd you manage it?" Ironhide asked, and went on to offer some clarification off of the look she gave him. "How'd you go from being human to becoming one of us?"

Alexis regarded him with widened optics for a moment, caught off guard by the notion that he was actually interested in learning more about her and where she came from. After a moment, she gave a very slight smile, thinking, _Maybe there's hope for you yet, Ironhide_.

This belief was compounded as the remaining hours of their confinement ticked on towards morning, and Ironhide seemed to have enough questions to keep the conversation going. His curiosity about Starxis, her relationship with Starscream, and the part she'd played in bringing down Unicron, to name a few topics of interest, was a nice switch from him treating her like the enemy.

Until Alexis and Ironhide heard the sound of the main door sliding open, followed by the clang of heavy footfalls entering the ward, they'd both lost track of what time it was. By the time Optimus (looking extraordinarily on edge) appeared in the space separating their two cells, both recruits were sitting up straight on their bunks with blank expressions.

Optimus silently looked from Alexis to Ironhide and back again as if expecting one of them to say something on what had transpired the night before. When they remained silent, the Autobot commander gave a deep sigh and quietly said, "I hope the two of you realize just how disappointed I am. The situation was bad enough with Alpha Q's unprovoked attacks on our bases and then turning some of our own soldiers against us…"

Optimus paused, then went on with, in a tone that made both trainees feel ashamed, "I will not tolerate two of my own troops resorting to battling each other." He looked towards Alexis, directing his next statement to her. "I especially expected better of you, Alexis, than to sink to your partner's level." After a short silence, he said, "I am willing to forgive the transgression just this once… You can be assured that, if the two of you continue to behave like children, you will no longer have a place on my team. Is that understood?"

Ironhide and Alexis nodded solemnly and offered quiet words of apology. The tension surrounding their commander seemed to be alleviated just a little at this. As he moved to the control panel to shut down the electromagnetic fields of the cells, Optimus quietly began to fill the two rookies in on the other surprising developments that had come about while they'd been confined.

It was hard for Alexis to be ecstatic over the revelation that Scavenger was back on Earth with all the bad news that was overshadowing it. _No wonder Optimus isn't in the best mood, _she mused, feeling even more guilty about her own part in the day's events.

Coming face to face with Starscream in the upper levels of Ocean City proved to be easier than Alexis thought it would. He was just emerging from his sleeping quarters with Starxis perched on his shoulder when she found him. For half a minute, she and her fellow jet just stood watching one another, simply reading each other's thoughts as a means of making sense of the events that had transpired since they'd parted ways.

At last, Starscream just wordlessly stepped forward and pulled her close, holding her to him in a comforting embrace. Simultaneously, Starxis moved over onto Alexis' shoulder and cuddled up against her neck, gently nuzzling her. After a few seconds, Alexis sighed and rested her arms against Starscream's back, moving slightly closer as she did so and feeling grateful that she'd get no reprimand from him.

In what she would later come to realize was a downright ironic statement, Alexis whispered, "Things can't possibly get any worse than this past day, right?"

Starscream gave a short laugh, tightening his grip on her ever so slightly. "I certainly hope so," he said softly, pressing his face against the russet filaments attached to her head…

*****

As Cyclonus had hoped, Scorpinok had displayed no problem in allowing him to tag along following the latest raid. Once they arrived at their destination, the eccentric bot had been slightly disturbed by the realization he was looking at Unicron's remains, as the dark god was now healed enough to have taken on a recognizable shape.

Scorpinok had silenced Cyclonus' squawks of protest by simply saying that Unicron had been permanently deactivated and did not pose any threat. Cyclonus had reluctantly accepted this, especially when Tidal Wave advanced to venture inside with no signs of fear. The notion that the big guy had been here before and seemingly had no reason to worry about being harmed was sufficient to put the eccentric bot at ease.

Past escorting Tidal Wave and Cyclonus to the chamber where Megatron was being "held," Scorpinok seemed to have no interest in entertaining his companions and shortly left them to their own devices.

Cyclonus almost couldn't believe his optics when he saw Megatron, fully intact, imprisoned within the lining of Unicron's stomach. After a long moment of listening, he decided there was no mistaking the faint hum in the air that indicated Megatron's spark was still active and pulsing with life. Slowly, Cyclonus turned to look up at Tidal Wave, saying simply, "You were telling the truth…"

The colossal Transformer looked back at Cyclonus, seeming slightly irritated by the remark. "Tidal Wave would not lie about something this important."

Cyclonus backed up a step, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Take it easy, big guy," he said in a more cheery tone, beginning to feel more like his normal self. Though it niggled at him that Megatron was still so weak when more than enough Energon had been taken that should have revived him, the eccentric bot reasoned that he could always quiz Scorpinok on what was up with that.

But for now, Cyclonus was completely caught up in the rush of doing whatever it took to obtain more of this power source. So long as he was doing what he loved best, being swept up in the heat of battle, it scarcely mattered just whose side he was on…

*****

There was much relief to be had among the Transformers of Ocean City when Red Alert announced to all those gathered in the conference room that the new base defenses were ready to be installed, just three hours after Alexis and Ironhide's stint in the brig had ended. There wasn't a single one among the group, Kicker as well, who wasn't looking thankful following this announcement.

The task of establishing all the turrets was put into effect within the hour, at Desert, Plains, and Jungle City. It helped to this end that Scavenger's vehicle mode happened to be a bulldozer; it cut down on the time it otherwise would have taken to dig the trenches.

Surprisingly, Misha, who'd been asked to stay at Ocean City until her true home could be declared safe, came up with a rather interesting idea of using Energon to power the new weapons. "It would guarantee we wouldn't have to worry about running out of energy, when we have a limitless source at our fingertips," she had said. Optimus proved to be very much in agreement and thanked Misha for her suggestion.

To have some insurance that Alpha Q wouldn't be able to see what they were doing, Alexis, Starscream, and Starxis were sent with Red Alert and Scavenger to each location. Though the two jets idly watched this construction project as it got underway, they still took the opportunity to carry on a conversation.

"I hope this means that things will finally be getting back to normal," Alexis said, catching Starscream's gaze with her own.

He reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "As do I… If all goes well, this might mean that we won't have to worry about Alpha Q, Scorpinok, or their army again. Past that… Well, who knows what Tidal Wave and Cyclonus are going to do…" Starscream paused, then added, with a warm smile, "I hope Ironhide never forgets what you said to him last night. I'd almost bet you could talk anyone under the table if you set your mind to it."

Alexis chuckled lightly, causing his smile to widen. "It's just a matter of finding the right words and the right opportunity," she said modestly. After a moment, she went on with, "In the meantime, maybe you could help me conquer my own faults…?"

Starscream sighed, knowing from her thoughts just what she was driving at. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not anything that can actually be taught. Learning how to control your emotions is something you'd have to figure out for yourself." He hesitated, looking towards Red Alert and Scavenger as they worked. "And, Primus willing, you may soon get every opportunity to work at it with no danger of what might happen if you fail."

Alexis merely smiled at that remark, then looked over at the youngling on her shoulder when he spoke, causing both his parents to laugh heartily with his statement and how sure he sounded. "Alpha Q go bye-bye," Starxis said…

*****

As the Transformers on Earth had hoped (and a certain youngling had predicted), Alpha Q's forces were put through the wringer when they next came knocking. The turrets proved to be sufficient in making short work of the predatory bots, taking many of them out even before they could touch down on the ground. With Alpha Q's army decimated, Scorpinok and the two Decepticons he'd turned to his side didn't dare stick around to likewise get slaughtered or merely taken into custody.

While Alpha Q was furious that, for once, the attempted raid was a complete failure, Scorpinok saw an opportunity to rectify an out-of-hand situation. "Forgive me, your Excellency," Scorpinok said. "But I have to stand by my earlier points." Without giving Alpha Q a chance to respond, he went on with, "And I must add that perhaps it was a mistake to target the bases owned by our Cybertronian cousins… If I'm not mistaken, you did see to it that the Terrorcons would be able to sense Energon so they wouldn't have to waste time searching for it…?"

Alpha Q, speaking through the facet dubbed Brainiac, actually sounding intrigued for a change. Sideways, who was once more watching from the shadows, found it curious that the spindly bot seemed to be at his most lucid when in Scorpinok's presence; it spoke volumes about the relationship between this so-called sovereign and his loyal subordinate. "What is it you suggest, Scorpinok?"

Scorpinok tilted his head up a notch, heartened by the indication that the young ruler was willing to listen to alternatives. "Earth is surely not the only place that this Energon can be found… Was there not a supply of it at our own fallen world, for a time?" Scorpinok paused for effect, then said, "I propose we seek out other planets, preferably uninhabited, to obtain all that we need. It would guarantee we would be able to operate unhindered, and I see no reason not to leave our fellow Transformers in peace."

Alpha Q was silent for a time as he carefully considered this, then abruptly reached towards the organic floor with one elongated hand. Before Scorpinok even registered what was happening, his master had forged a sharp-looking broadsword with an ornate green and purple hilt from Unicron's flesh.

Scorpinok began to feel slightly uneasy as Alpha Q held the weapon out towards him in expectation. "My Lord…?" he asked questioningly, unsure of what was happening here even as he reached for the sword.

Alpha Q, or rather, the interior head called Laser Happy, fixed Scorpinok with a stern gaze that suggested it would do no good to argue. "If that is the case, then perhaps we have no further need for Tidal Wave and Cyclonus. And I dare not let them go lest they lead Optimus Prime and the others straight to us."

Scorpinok froze. "Surely, you don't imply we kill them!" he blurted out. "Wiping their memories or transporting them away to guarantee they'll never again find us…"

Alpha Q refused to be swayed from this, countering by saying that neither method was foolproof and that there were ways for the Autobots to extract the information and thus figure out where the invading bots had come from. "I will not have it any other way, Scorpinok… I suggest you carefully consider what your next move will be."

Scorpinok gave a deep sigh, rising to his feet and tightening his grip on the hilt of the sword, his desire for self-preservation, in part, overruling his drive to do the right thing. It was likely, if he did disobey the order, Alpha Q would just eliminate the two Decepticons himself (and Scorpinok as well) and be done with it.

As he stepped quietly into the chamber that was Unicron's stomach, Scorpinok had the blade partly concealed behind his left leg and was doing his best to bury his unease about what he was about to do. He was successful on both counts -- neither Decepticon was clued in as to what Scorpinok was up to until the latter actually struck.

Shocked at having his chest plate nearly sheared in half, Tidal Wave put one hand to the gash that was now leaking vital fluids, stumbling back in such a way that he lost his balance and toppled to the floor. Hearing Cyclonus approaching from behind with a squawk of protest, Scorpinok quickly turned and raised the blade so it was level with the throat of the eccentric bot.

It was fortunate that Cyclonus halted when he did, or he very well would have impaled himself. "What…?" he started, then gulped nervously and finished with, "What do you think you're doing?!"

In a vacant tone, Scorpinok answered, "I'm afraid our partnership must be dissolved, gentlemen. You may not believe me, but let me say I'm sorry neither of you will survive past this moment…"

Cyclonus blinked, disbelieving what he was hearing. There were many things he wanted to ask, such as why or what he and Tidal Wave had done to deserve this. Briefly, Cyclonus turned his gaze to the big guy, and would have laughed at the fact that Tidal Wave was mumbling his own name over and over for some odd reason had the situation not been so grave.

After a second, Cyclonus completely dimmed his optics, steeling himself for the killing blow and saying a quick prayer that it would be painless.

It never came.

Scorpinok was just prepared to act when a sudden rumble, in the ground beneath his feet, caught his attention. Catching sight of a flicker of light out of the corner of his optic, Scorpinok turned his attention upwards, noticing that there were streaks of yellow light (of what could only be the liquefied Energon coursing through Unicron's body) darting across the ceiling.

The dancing lights were so quick and sporadic that Scorpinok didn't immediately figure out they were converging towards the same location. By the time he figured it out, he began to become aware of a soft hum from some feet away that seemed to be getting louder and louder by the second.

Cyclonus and Tidal Wave seemed to realize at the same instant as Scorpinok just what was happening, as all three of them identified the source of the hum and looked towards it. Though they viewed this tableau with varying reactions (disbelief, hope, and fear, respectively), it soon became undeniable to all three what was going on.

Somehow, Megatron was coming back to life…

_Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feedback is much appreciated, but please don't flame me too hard for this cliffhanger. As of this moment, I don't know how long it will take to get started on the next part as schoolwork is going to be the priority for the next week or two. :)_

_Next up: Megatron's return and all its repercussions..._


	10. Changing the Rules

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Disclaimer: Don't own Transformers; Hasbro does. Nor do I own the song used in the chapter, which many of you (if not all) may not be familiar. Anybody wishing to listen to it will be able to find it on Youtube._

_Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoy this latest installment; it was much fun to write._

_The next chapters will be a while in coming, since I will be on vacation to Arizona as of tomorrow. While I will be spending near two weeks there, I hope to get a substantial amount of writing in and may just be posting more than one chapter next time. :)_

Chapter Nine

Later on, Scorpinok was never sure if things would have turned out differently, had he not suffered a moment of hesitation. For a few seconds, all he could was stare at the imprisoned Decepticon leader in pure disbelief, though he didn't relax his hold on the sword still aimed at Cyclonus' throat. It was pure luck that the eccentric bot was in enough of a trance that he didn't think of fighting back at that particular moment.

Scorpinok steeled himself in the next instant, as he recognized that allowing Megatron to revive would not be a good thing. The last thing he or Alpha Q needed right now was for a proverbial X-factor to enter the game. Moving swiftly, Scorpinok advanced towards the Decepticon leader, and ruthlessly drove the sword straight into Megatron's chest, about where his spark chamber should be located.

In the next second, Scorpinok breathed a sigh of relief, as he felt the crisis had been averted given that the hum in the air instantly died. After another second, he turned to regard Tidal Wave and Cyclonus once more. The former had rolled over in order to get a better view, his hand still pressed to the gaping wound on his chest, and the look on his face would suggest his spark had just been slashed to ribbons as well.

By contrast, Cyclonus was almost comical as he squawked out, "Scorpinok, what have you done?!"

"Eliminated a problem, that's what," Scorpinok answered in a deadpan tone, making a move to withdraw the sword and get back to business; the sooner he finished carrying out what Alpha Q had ordered, the better. However, Scorpinok was surprised when the weapon didn't budge, and he shortly turned back to look, simultaneously giving another tug.

This, too, failed to yield results, leaving Scorpinok deeply perplexed. Surely, the sword could not have gotten wedged in something that would make it impossible to remove. He adopted a more forceful stance, trying once more to pull the blade loose, while keeping his senses on high alert in case Cyclonus tried to attack him.

Scorpinok wasn't given a chance to reason out why this wasn't working before the hum returned at full blast, and a glowing pink light appeared around the sword where it was planted in Megatron's chest. At the same instant, a rumble shook the floor beneath Scorpinok's feet, frightening him in its intensity. Before he even realized what was happening, the sword's hilt was yanked from his hand, and Scorpinok looked up in fear and disbelief as the weapon was entirely _absorbed _within Megatron's chest, or, perhaps, spark.

Scorpinok stumbled back, barely registering that Cyclonus was cackling nervously and that Tidal Wave was chanting over and over, as some sort of bizarre mantra, "Megatron lives!" As the tableau before him continued to unfold, Scorpinok registered in some part of his mind that the blade had to have been forged entirely of Energon. If that was what Megatron had been using to regain his strength and come back to life, then injecting a healthy dose of said substance straight into his spark had been a terrible mistake.

A flicker of movement off to the left caused Scorpinok to look briefly in that direction, to see that Sideways had entered the chamber at some point to watch the proceedings. Currently, the rogue bot was watching Megatron with great interest, with a smug look in his optics that enraged Scorpinok. _How dare he regard this as fun and games!_ Scorpinok thought furiously, then turned his attention back to the Decepticon leader when a sudden quake swept through the chamber in which he was standing.

The hum in the air seemed to reach a fever pitch in the same moment, and it wasn't much longer after this that cracks began to develop in the organic lining that had been Megatron's tomb for the past decade. In seconds, the lining began to shatter, as if it had instantly grown brittle and was as hard as plastic.

Curiously enough, Megatron's form seemed to have been altered in the process. His outlined structure, as it had appeared in the biologic wall, had told Scorpinok that his vehicle mode was a battle tank and while he was heavily armored and bulky, he had very little in the way of weaponry.

However, the version of Megatron that emerged was somewhat slimmer, for lack of a better word, and was sporting a set of cannons, one on each shoulder. Furthermore, the color of his armor, had Scorpinok asked Cyclonus or Tidal Wave in regards to this, had gone from gray and green to a nice polished silver and blue. And the set of alien jet wings attached to Megatron's back suggested his vehicle mode has also been altered.

Scorpinok's questions over how Megatron could have possibly changed his shape were lost when the Decepticon leader was fully freed. The fact that Megatron's hands soon curled into fists and that he was staring across at Scorpinok with hooded red optics sealed the latter's belief that nothing good could come of this.

With an immense amount of fury displayed on his features, Megatron's gaze traveled briefly to Tidal Wave and then Cyclonus before coming back to Scorpinok. If there had been any doubt in the latter's mind that he was in trouble, it was cast aside by the first thing to pass through Megatron's lips. "You have no clue just how big a mistake you've made, Scorpinok," the Decepticon leader said darkly.

"How…?" Scorpinok started, only to bite the words back a second later. The fact that Megatron knew his name could only mean that the latter had heard every word that had been said. For a moment, he stood frozen in place, then realized that fighting would probably be a better idea. This idea was compounded when Megatron raised one hand, and the same sword that Scorpinok had been wielding moments ago flashed into existence in the grip of the Decepticon leader.

Scorpinok instantly transformed into his scorpion mode and scuttled forward, using one claw to swipe the blade from Megatron's hand. Simultaneously, he struck with his tail; the stinger was soon planted deep in Megatron's left shoulder.

Scorpinok's near-fatal mistake was hesitating for a few seconds, surprised when this action seemingly failed to cause Megatron any pain. While the former was frozen, Megatron reached up with his free hand and savagely ripped the stinger loose, then instantly maneuvered to get a more solid grip on the front of Scorpinok's frame. Much to the shock of his opponent and the three spectators (even Sideways was astonished), he then lifted Scorpinok completely off the ground and threw him all the way across the cavernous chamber.

Scorpinok was by no means light, and this show of strength on Megatron's part would have gotten him just as dazed as when he crashed into the far wall. Switching back to his bot mode, he gave his head a brisk shake to clear it, staring across at Megatron with growing dread. Even as the latter spoke, Scorpinok was thinking, _I hope you're watching this, Alpha Q. If things continue to go south, it might call for a drastic change in plans!_

Flexing his arms, Megatron took a step forward, an amused smile playing at his lips. With a cheerful laugh, he said, "I have never felt more alive than right now. For that, I thank you, Scorpinok." After a slight pause, he added, "It has been far too long since I've been engaged in battle. Let's see just how skilled an opponent you are. I'd hate for this to be over with so quickly."

Scorpinok drew in a deep breath, shifting slightly into a crouched position that would allow him to rise to his feet as quickly as possible and saying a silent prayer that all his skills as a warrior would not fail him now. In the next instant, he got up and started to move, very much determined to regain the upper hand.

The results, however, turned out to be quite disastrous…

* * *

Given that the new base defenses had proved to be a resounding success, Optimus had seen no problem in allowing Alexis and Starscream a well-deserved evening off. Soon after they'd been granted this opportunity, the two jets and Starxis were on their way to the home on the mainland that they'd barely had time to take advantage of. 

As she settled onto the futon on the second story balcony next to her loved ones, Alexis delighted in being in Starscream's company, alone (save for Starxis), and being allowed an uninterrupted view of the evening sky.

Repositioning so she was reclining against Starscream and sighing when he began lovingly teasing her "hair," Alexis said softly, "The stars look beautiful this evening."

Giving a short laugh, Starscream briefly turned his gaze skyward. There had been countless occasions where he'd spent hours studying the constellations; even as a youngling on Cybertron, prior to being drafted as a soldier, he'd taken great delight in watching the heavens. "Maybe so," he answered, fixing his optics back on her. "But I can think of one thing far more lovely that I'd rather be looking at."

Alexis lightly smacked the hand resting beneath hers, once it registered just what he was talking about. "Oh, you…"

This only caused Starscream to smile widely. "Don't complain," he said in a soft, flirtatious tone. "You should be flattered to know you're the most beautiful thing in my universe."

Before she could say a word, her child chimed in with, "Starxis think so too."

Alexis chuckled, gently patting Starxis' head, before saying, "You're sweet. Both of you." She paused, snuggling closer against Starscream, before saying, "So, where do you think we go from here? If there's not going to be any more raids…" She angled her head to look at him. "Do you think Optimus might be taking Ironhide and me back to Cybertron to continue our training?"

Starscream bowed his head slightly, giving a deep sigh. "I honestly don't know," he replied. After a very brief silence, he added, "If that's the case, then maybe we'd better make the most of our time together."

Alexis smiled warmly. "What did you have in mind?" she asked, and was surprised when he actually moved to stand while she was speaking.

Once he was on his feet, Starscream turned and extended a hand to Alexis to help her up as well. Wordlessly, he pulled her close, ignoring her inquiries into what he was up to. She got her answer a second later when he maneuvered her hands so one was resting on his shoulder and the other at his waist. He soon positioned his own hands in the same way, and Alexis couldn't help but laugh at this point.

Even as they began to softly sway to some silent song, she said, in a decidedly amused tone, "Where in the world did you learn to dance?"

He offered a secretive smile. "You'd never believe me if I told you," was all he said.

Alexis giggled slightly. "So, either you learned it sometime before we first met… or you and Demolisher have found something interesting to do in your spare time."

Starscream burst out laughing, then fixed her with a playfully angry look. "Thank you so much for putting that image in my head," he answered. "Now Demolisher's going to wonder why I won't be able to keep a straight face around him."

Alexis responded with a silly grin. After a long silence, she abruptly said, "We should have some music… Or better yet, a song that's suited to us specifically." Off of the curious, slightly bewildered look he gave her, she added, "Come on, it would be romantic. I'll even let you pick."

Starscream blinked, sighing softly. Yet, for all of her sometimes outlandish demands, he could never deny her anything. It didn't take him long to patch into the nearest Internet signal and do an extensive search of what counted for Earth-based music. With that accomplished, he sifted through them all until he found one that might be suitable, then focused back on her and tentatively said, "Until the End of Time, by Jordan Hill…?"

Alexis furrowed her brow. "Don't think I know that one…"

Starscream hesitated for an instant, then pulled away and went to the stereo system that was set up a couple feet away. After downloading the song and setting it to play, he returned to Alexis' side, resuming to dance with her.

The lyrics of this ballad, accompanied by a haunting melody, had a significant effect on her. They sounded so perfect, it surprised her; she'd not quite expected Starscream to hit it on the first try.

_Looking at you  
__I can't believe  
__That it's true  
__That I've got someone who's crazy over me_

_Here and now  
__I am sure  
__That I've found  
__What true love is and what a love should be_

_When you hold me, then I know  
__That's where I belong  
__And I don't want to let you go  
__Nowhere in this world I'd rather be._

_You and I,  
__We can't deny  
__Heaven's here between your lips and mine._

_I promise I,  
__I will never say goodbye  
__It's you and me,  
__Until the end of time._

_It's just enough,  
__All I've ever dreamed of,  
__The love I've prayed for  
__Before I go to sleep._

_Just in time  
__I never thought  
__I would find  
__Another reason  
__To give all of me._

_When you hold me, then I know  
__That's where I belong  
__And I don't want to let you go  
__Nowhere in this world I'd rather be._

_You and I,  
__We can't deny  
__Heaven's here between your lips and mine._

_I promise I,  
__I will never say goodbye  
__It's you and me,  
__Until the end of time._

_Oh, you are the air that I breathe  
__I've seen all that I need to see  
__Finally I know  
__Love is what used to be when  
__I don't and I won't have to spend  
__Another night alone._

As the song played, Alexis had stepped close to Starscream, laying her head on his shoulder, as they continued to sway in time to the rhythm. And, as the closing chorus echoed around them, she was scarcely aware of when she and the jet she loved went airborne, completing their dance together in mid air…

* * *

In all the eons he'd been in existence, Scorpinok had never been exposed to the level of brutality that he suffered at Megatron's hands. In just under five minutes, he had sustained more injuries and become much more battered than he had ever remembered being in his long life.

Lying on the floor and shaking badly (though he wasn't sure if it was due to pain or fear), Scorpinok turned his gaze upwards, peering at Megatron with his right optic through the large gap in his visor. There was some difficulty in speaking given that his lips had been crushed and/or distorted under the incessant blows, but Scorpinok managed it somehow. "Megatron," he said weakly. "You win."

Much to his surprise, this didn't stop the Decepticon leader from driving his fist into Scorpinok's face more. The latter grunted in pain, taking a moment to shake off the effects of the blow before desperately stating, "I said, you win!"

Megatron smirked darkly. "I'm sorry. You must be under the impression that that means something to me… You tried to kill me, Scorpinok. Only fair that I should return the favor, with interest." With that said, Megatron raised one leg and promptly began to bring his foot down on Scorpinok's right arm.

Drawing on a hidden reserve of strength, Scorpinok raised his hand and seized Megatron's foot before it could connect, using every bit of power he had left to try and defend himself. It all proved fruitless; Megatron was far too strong. In seconds, Scorpinok's arm was being mangled just as badly as his face had become.

Scorpinok began shaking again, this time out of pure fear. He'd already died once, because of Unicron, and he had no desire to go through that again, especially since there was no guarantee that Alpha Q could (or might even want to) bring him back.

When it all boiled down, Scorpinok would cite fear as his reason for doing what he did next.

"Please," Scorpinok managed to get out through his broken lips, wincing when this caused Megatron to stomp down harder on his arm. If anything, this action increased Scorpinok's desperation, though it took a few seconds before he could continue. "This wasn't my idea," Scorpinok said, turning his gaze briefly to Tidal Wave and Cyclonus, who had come to stand just behind Megatron.

Surprisingly, Cyclonus looked a little disconcerted by Scorpinok's current state, which was compounded when the eccentric bot nervously said, "Megatron, don't you think the poor guy's suffered enough?"

Megatron scoffed. "Don't be silly… Why, I've barely gotten started," he said ominously.

Scorpinok gulped nervously. "I was just following orders, Megatron!" he blurted out, praying that it would count for something and possibly save his life. "It was Alpha Q who wanted this done, not me!" As soon as the words left him, Scorpinok almost instantly wished he could take them back, though it did serve a purpose in getting Megatron to ease up ever so slightly. Scorpinok dimmed his optics, disbelieving that he'd sunk to this level once more; this would count as the second time (in the past decade alone) that he'd been reduced to betraying Alpha Q.

Megatron hesitated, slightly thrown by this admission. In the next instant, he wondered how he could not have seen that Scorpinok had to be Alpha Q's lackey. And, if that were the case, then perhaps he was wasting his rage on the wrong being.

Megatron backed up a step, saying simply, "You'd better not be lying to me."

Cyclonus stepped forward, making a half-hearted attempt to give Megatron back the sword he'd lost during the scuffle. "It's true, sir… There's this freak with, like, four heads who's behind all this." When Megatron failed to respond, Cyclonus went on with, "Scorpinok is telling the truth."

Megatron gave a dark, amused chuckle. "Well, he'd better be…" The words had barely left him before Megatron dropped to his knees and raised one hand which shortly began glowing with an unnatural purple light. Even as he pressed his hand to a shield-shaped plate in the center of Scorpinok's chest (causing the latter to grunt in pain), Megatron said, "Welcome to my team…"

As the light died away, Scorpinok cast his gaze downwards, startled beyond belief when he saw that a Decepticon insignia had just been emblazoned onto his armor. He spent a few seconds studying it before turning his gaze back to Megatron, wondering, _How in the world did he do that?!_

Cyclonus (and maybe Tidal Wave) likely had to be wondering the same thing, but Megatron didn't have the patience to satisfy their curiosity. Instead, the Decepticon leader redirected his attention, seeming for a moment to be staring into empty air. Then, he spoke a name that startled the two companions standing behind him. "Sideways," Megatron growled in a loud voice. "It's time to show yourself!"

Cyclonus was so on edge by the time that Sideways actually stepped silently from the shadows that he reflexively fired a shot or two at the rogue bot, and was even more startled when the laser blasts passed right through him. "What the…!?" Cyclonus started to say, only to be cut off by Megatron.

"Sideways is now nothing more than a ghost, gentleman," Megatron said in an amused tone. "A fitting punishment for one so duplicitous." To the rogue bot, he added, "For a time, Sideways, you almost had me convinced that an alliance between us would be doable. But you've shown that you can't be trusted any more now than you could when we first met." Megatron gave a bitter laugh. "I hope you enjoy your life as a phantom. You're going to be stuck that way for a very long time to come."

A very low growl was issued from beneath Sideways' faceplate at the conclusion of Megatron's speech, and all gathered in the chamber could tell by his posture that he was seething with rage. "You'll pay for this, Megatron," he said in a dangerous tone.

A cruel smile came to Megatron's lips. "What are you going to do, Sideways?" he sneered. "Haunt me to death?" He waited a moment for an answer that wasn't forthcoming, then turned away. Reaching down with one hand, he callously pulled Scorpinok to his feet in spite of the latter's cry of agony. To the heavily damaged bot before him, Megatron simply said, "Suck it up, soldier! It's time to pay your former master, Alpha Q, a little visit…"

* * *

As Scorpinok had hoped, Alpha Q had bore witness to Megatron's awakening. The longer he had remotely viewed the events that transpired, the more he began to realize that staying put would be a grave mistake. In the time allowed, from the moment Scorpinok had saved his own hide through betrayal to when Megatron and his court made their way to Alpha Q's domain, the spindly bot had been frantically making preparations to try and salvage the situation.

When the far wall was blasted apart to allow Megatron, Scorpinok, Tidal Wave, and Cyclonus entry into Unicron's spark chamber, Alpha Q silently prayed that all his efforts wouldn't be wasted. Even as he spoke, he made some last minute adjustments, sending commands up to the dark god's processor through the cable hooked into the back of his head, praying he had timed everything just right to ensure his own survival.

"Welcome, Megatron," Alpha Q said in a conversational tone, causing his "visitors" to stop and regard him curiously. Turning his gaze towards Scorpinok, he did his best to hide his unease at his subordinate's current shape. "Still intent on taking what's not yours, I see."

Megatron sneered, tilting his head in Scorpinok's direction. "On the contrary, your little lapdog here gave you up… That kind of treachery and backstabbing always makes for a good Decepticon soldier." He paused, taking a step forward and holding his brand new sword at the ready. "How does it feel knowing you're about to lose everything?"

Alpha Q lowered his head slightly, simultaneously bringing his interior facet, Brainiac, to the forefront. "Don't underestimate me, Megatron," he said in a reprimanding tone. "This isn't over yet."

Before anyone could even think to react, Alpha Q suddenly wheeled around and began to move at a faster pace than any of his three Decepticons visitors had thought him capable of. However, Megatron quickly shook off his surprise and lunged forward, reaching for the cable hooked into the back of the spindly bot's head. "You're not going anywhere!" he growled, seizing hold of the cable and feeling a wave of satisfaction when this halted Alpha Q in his tracks.

Megatron's triumph, however, only lasted for two seconds.

Alpha Q was on the move again, disappearing into the passageway at the far wall, before Megatron fully realized that the cable had been disconnected. Turning towards his men and angered that they were just standing there gawking, he barked out, "Get after him! If he escapes, all the rest of you are going to pay!"

Cyclonus needed no further incentive than that, and he shortly took off after Alpha Q at a run. As the distance between he and the spindly bot began to close, Cyclonus said a silent thanks that he was the faster of the two of them. He so did not want to discover just what Megatron had in mind with that last statement.

Cyclonus' chance at victory went out the window just moments before he would have been upon Alpha Q. At the last instant, a wall had abruptly slammed down from the ceiling, in the space separating him from the spindly bot. Cyclonus didn't even have time to stop before he crashed into the barrier with enough force to ensure he fell backwards onto his behind.

In the next moment, Cyclonus looked up at the wall in fright; if it had come down even a millisecond later, he would likely have been squashed beneath it. He barely had time to praise his good fortune before Megatron caught up, pounding the barrier with one fist in anger at having been denied his prize when he was so close.

Nevertheless, blasting through this wall proved to be remarkably easy; it didn't take long for it to fall under the combined firepower of Megatron, Cyclonus, and Tidal Wave. Shortly thereafter, the three Decepticons continued their pursuit of Alpha Q, with Scorpinok following meekly behind them. Sideways, too, was trailing them, though at a more leisurely, slightly impartial pace, deciding it might be intriguing to see how this drama played out.

The chase was over all too soon, as Alpha Q hit a dead end and swung around to face Megatron and the others as they came to corner him. With a cruel laugh, Megatron came to a halt (and his men soon followed his example), certain that he'd have his revenge yet. "What do you plan to do now, Alpha Q?" he jeered. "Still think you have a chance at escaping my wrath?"

Oddly enough, Alpha Q didn't look the least bit afraid, causing some doubt to surface within Megatron. _Why would he be so calm when odds are great he only has a few moments left?! _the Decepticon leader wondered.

Alpha Q answered this with a smirk of his own. "Your arrogance is going to someday be your undoing, Megatron," he replied. "You haven't won anything." He shifted slightly on his axis, and it took a few seconds for those assembled to realize he was looking towards his minion. "I am sorry it has to be this way, Scorpinok," Alpha Q said. "You have no idea how much it pains me to have to leave you behind."

Scorpinok bowed his head slightly, and any of his "companions" who might have expected him to speak were disappointed when he said nothing. Oddly enough, Alpha Q gave an almost indiscernible nod, as if some sort of understanding had passed between him and his associate.

Megatron narrowed his optics and said, "If you think you're getting out of here alive, Alpha Q, you are sadly mistaken."

"On the contrary, Megatron, I already have…"

The words hadn't even fully left Alpha Q before a jolt passed through the chamber in which they were standing. In the next instant, it seemed as if the entire room was splitting apart, as select parts of the ceiling, floor, and walls broke open with a loud rumble. By the time Megatron figured out the chamber had been forcefully divided into two sections (with Alpha Q on one side and the Decepticon leader and his men on the other), the half that was occupied by the spindly bot was beginning to drift away.

Determined not to lose his prize, Megatron took a step forward, then two, maneuvering his brand new cannons in position to fire. Still, he was disappointed when the laser bursts struck some invisible barrier just inches away from Alpha Q and promptly dissipated.

Alpha Q soon began to laugh in triumph. Given time, Megatron might have figured out a way of getting at the pest, but all schemes towards this end were put on hold indefinitely when Alpha Q's half of Unicron's remains (which, if one were watching the tableau from a distance, would be easily identifiable as the dark god's head) began to shimmer and subsequently started to fade from sight.

Megatron had seen such a display before, with a traitorous soldier of his who was long dead, and so had no trouble recognizing it for what it was. Alpha Q had just teleported away in his half of Unicron's ruins. Unfortunately for the Decepticon leader, this meant that he was denied a satisfactory outlet for his rage.

If Cyclonus hadn't resorted to stating the obvious by saying, "He disappeared," Megatron didn't know how long it might have taken for him to direct his attention to Scorpinok. Moments later, Megatron strode towards his newest "recruit," seizing him around the top of his head and roughly positioning it so Scorpinok was looking right at him.

"Where did he go?!" Megatron barked out.

"I… don't know," Scorpinok stammered, and winced when Megatron's fist slammed into his gut. Once he'd recovered from the blow, Scorpinok pleaded, "I swear I don't know! Why would he tell me this information if he truly wanted to go into hiding?"

Megatron considered this carefully, then laughed it off, shoving Scorpinok away to the floor after a long, tense moment. "Very well… Perhaps it's time we forget about that pathetic Alpha Clueless," he scoffed. He relaxed his stance, then turned to look at Cyclonus and Tidal Wave. "Perhaps you'd get me caught up on what's happened over the past ten years… And what of Demolisher, Wheeljack, and Starscream?" he asked, citing the remaining members of his former team and seemingly ignoring that the latter's affiliation had been with the Autobots for some time.

Cyclonus cleared his throat, going on to tell of the fates of the three missing "members" of the team. While it disappointed Megatron to know that Wheeljack had given up his military life and vanished into the cosmos, at least there still existed a possibility of reclaiming the other two.

In response to Megatron's question about the Mini-Cons, Cyclonus said, "They were declared to be free to do what they wished once the war ended. Many of them departed for other worlds as well. I think there's a select few left on Earth, as well as Cybertron, but I'm not sure which ones… And I haven't seen any of our old Mini-Con partners in years. Not even yours, sir."

A low growl sounded from between Megatron's lips at this revelation. For a long moment, he said nothing, then surprised his companions by asking after his greatest rival, Optimus Prime. In response to Cyclonus' answers, a wry smile began to form on the Decepticon leader's face. "Perhaps it's time that Prime and I got reacquainted… And nothing would be more fitting than by picking up exactly where we left off," he said, turning on his heel and beginning to walk from the chamber.

Megatron was stopped when an almost petulant voice sounded from behind him. "I'm not going…"

Megatron turned his head, fixing Scorpinok with an amused grin. "Oh, I beg to differ, my friend… In fact, I'd say that you just volunteered for, shall we say, an extra special assignment…"

* * *

As Alexis had thought, Optimus was in favor of returning to Cybertron now that things had seemed to have quieted down. The morning after her time spent with Starscream at their new home found her assembling with Ironhide, Scavenger, and the Autobot commander at the Warp Gate platform at Ocean City.

After saying goodbye to several friends, not the least of which was Starscream and Starxis, Alexis had stepped up onto the platform next to Ironhide, prepared to be transported back to Cybertron. However, when Kicker came riding up on High Wire at a breakneck pace, she and her companions were given cause for alarm.

Before anyone could so much as question the hotheaded teenager, Kicker removed his helmet and blurted out, "Change of plans! Nobody's going anywhere!" He paused for a couple seconds to take a breath before saying in a rush, "Radar just picked up an attack on Plains City!"

Alexis exchanged a look with Ironhide, then focused back on Kicker. "Relax," she said gently, drawing the teenager's attention to herself. "Hot Shot went there earlier this morning to relieve Jetfire and to help with base repairs. I'm sure he and his team can handle it…"

Kicker looked at her with wild eyes; she was taken aback to see him looking so agitated. "I doubt it, Alexis! Because guess who just showed up!"

Kicker's answer as to who that someone was got all those gathered into an uproar, and it took some time for their teenaged companion to convince them he was telling the truth. Kicker even had to pull up a video feed on his handheld communicator (which all of his Transformer friends had a little trouble making out given how tiny the picture was) as proof.

Once he was convinced that Megatron was indeed back in the game (despite his new form, the Decepticon leader had been addressed by name courtesy of Cyclonus at one point), Optimus was quick to order a resetting of the coordinates on the Warp Gate so he and his team could get out there.

At best, Megatron and his army had only had fifteen minutes to lay siege to Plains City before Optimus and his team made the journey there. Yet, once she emerged on the other side of the gate and got her bearings, Alexis could only gaze around at the scene before her with a sinking feeling.

Where Plains City (marked by a grand stone castle) had once stood, there remained only a hollowed out hole in the ground. In shock, Alexis and her companions strode forward, their attention focused primarily on the damage that had been wrought. When they caught sight of Megatron (and vice versa), the collective moods of the Autobots sank even lower.

Megatron gave a cruel chuckle upon seeing Optimus, seeming in an instant to forget about the soldier whose skull he currently had one hand curled around. Without a second thought, he flung Hot Shot away towards the ground a few feet in front of him.

Alexis gasped when she saw that Hot Shot's optics were completely dark and that his right arm had been completely severed. Her reaction inspired Starscream to pull her into his embrace, as he snaked one arm across her collarbone and held her close.

In the meantime, Ironhide foolishly rushed to Hot Shot's side, dropping to his knees and checking to see if the fallen commander might still be alive. Miraculously, Megatron paid Ironhide no heed; his attention was so focused on Optimus.

Alexis' attention was briefly drawn to the cliffside when she caught a flicker of movement in that direction, and she was caught off guard to see Scorpinok pulling himself up from the side of the chasm, dripping wet, from the sea below. Given the shape he was in, and the fact that there were a number of scorch marks lining the front of his body, it was obvious he had suffered the brunt of Megatron's cruelty as well.

The burn marks attested to the fact that Scorpinok had been hit repeatedly by the laser turrets that had been protecting this base, and likely not by choice; Megatron had probably used the poor guy as a shield. How funny it was, Alexis mused, that she should actually be feeling this much pity for Scorpinok.

In the next instant, Alexis' gaze was drawn to Megatron once more when he spoke. With a cruel laugh, the Decepticon leader let his optics rove amongst the group before stating, "So… Who wants to be the first to welcome me back…?"


	11. Point of No Return

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: Had a wonderful time in Arizona. Didn't get as much writing in as I hoped, but did put together both this chapter and part of the next one (which should be ready within the week). Hope you enjoy!  
_

Chapter Ten

Everything seemed to happen at once after Megatron spoke.

Ironhide seemed to realize his close proximity to the Decepticon leader and made an effort to move himself and Hot Shot away to a safer spot. Seeing this, Scavenger soon stepped forward to help the rookie with this task.

On the other hand, Starscream repositioned himself, and it seemed to Alexis that he was trying to protect her by consciously moving to stand between her and Megatron. Starxis, too, soon relocated so he was hidden from sight, clinging to Alexis' back and growing silent. She guessed the youngling was responding to either her thoughts or Starscream's.

Optimus was well aware of the devastation that Megatron had wrought, and while both acts would have been sufficient to get a rise out of him, there still remained the fact that it was impossible that the Decepticon leader should even be alive. Yet, the remains of Plains City and the brutality visited upon Hot Shot definitely bore Megatron's signature; there was no doubt in Optimus' mind that his greatest rival (Unicron aside) was indeed standing before him.

Taking a step forward in a non-threatening manner and feeling relieved that Tidal Wave and Cyclonus were content to stay put unless otherwise ordered, Optimus voiced a single word. "How?"

Megatron's lips curled up into a sneer. "You have Unicron to thank for that. Seems he would have done just about anything to avoid losing… And seeing as I held the angry energy he'd been collecting for millions of years and was using as a power source, he couldn't resist bringing me back in a failed attempt to reclaim it..." Megatron paused, his gaze turning towards Starscream before melting into a slightly hateful expression. "Ten years, I'd been imprisoned within Unicron, constantly weak and unable to move… That's the last time I do you a favor, Starscream. It wasn't worth me getting the raw end of the deal."

Starscream's optics flared with anger at this. In a strained tone, he said, "I didn't exactly put a gun to your head and force you to make that sacrifice. Don't you dare pin the last ten years on me."

"No need to get argumentative, soldier," Megatron responded, much to Starscream's surprise. "I wasn't exactly assigning blame just now." He paused, looking past Starscream to Alexis as if seeing her for the first time. "Funny, Cyclonus didn't tell me about any new additions to the Autobot team." He quickly perused Alexis from head to toe, looking quite amused, before stating, "Think you have what it takes to join the big leagues?"

Alexis bit back her fright, raising her head in defiance; she had learned long ago that showing fear around Megatron was never a good thing. Before she could say a word, however, Optimus beat her to it.

"Enough, Megatron!" the Autobot leader barked out. "I'll not have you pestering my soldiers." He hesitated, looking towards the crater in the ground when a flicker of movement caught his attention. Much to his disbelief, there were a number of Alpha Q's predatory bots climbing out of the hole with a substantial amount of stolen Energon. The metallic falcons and jaguars quickly fell in line behind Megatron and readied their weapons to fire.

At this, Starscream shifted his laser cannons into position, anticipating an attack. Seeing Cyclonus respond to the jet's action by drawing his own weapons told Optimus he needed to do something before anyone actually opened fire. Looking to his left, the Autobot commander ordered Starscream to stand down, breathing a sigh of relief when the jet did as requested.

Shifting his gaze back towards Megatron, however, Optimus narrowed his optics, doing his best to keep a lid on his own anger. It didn't take a genius to see that Megatron must have stolen Alpha Q's army out from under him, especially taking Scorpinok's condition into account. If that was the case, then the Decepticon leader was definitely up to his old tricks.

With a trace of bitterness, Optimus said, "Have you learned nothing from the outcome of our last war, Megatron? Why provide Unicron with another opportunity to grow in power by feeding on the anger between our two armies?"

Megatron smirked. "Unicron is no longer an issue or a threat, Prime," he responded. "Our good friends, Alpha Q and Scorpinok, saw to that… And, frankly, I see no problem in taking back what's mine."

At the mention of Scorpinok, Alexis looked towards the damaged bot in question, and was startled to see him gazing back at her. Once he realized she was looking at him, Scorpinok's expression melted into a somewhat pleading one. She would guess later on that this was his way of asking for help, to do something that would ensure he wouldn't have to leave in Megatron's company. In either case, however, she doubted that there was anything she, or her companions, could do.

Even as Optimus and Starscream began to wonder what Megatron meant with that comment about Unicron, Ironhide surprised his companions by getting to his feet with an angry cry, issuing a challenge to the Decepticon leader as he advanced.

Quickly, Optimus wrapped his arms around Ironhide as the rookie moved past him, holding him back. "Ironhide, no!" he ordered with a hint of concern. "This is not the time or place for a fight! Look around you -- we are way outnumbered!" He paused, briefly wondering if Megatron would even allow them to get away before adding, "We are going to withdraw and regroup."

Standing a few feet to Optimus' left, Kicker looked up at the Autobot commander with a start. A second later, he was protesting, much to the surprise of his giant companions, "Optimus, we have to do something! Look what that monster did to Hot Shot!"

Alexis threw a glance at Kicker, startled to hear the teenager actually expressing concern for one of the Transformers, especially given it was Hot Shot. An instant later, she felt a twinge of regret as she turned to look at their fallen comrade; she'd forgotten that the impetuous bot had been badly injured in light of everything else that was going on.

"Everyone is going back to Ocean City!" Optimus said firmly. "Hot Shot too." After a slight pause, Optimus looked towards Scavenger and Hot Shot, and a nod from the former told him that the latter would be alright for a few minutes yet.

With a sigh, Optimus turned his attention back towards Megatron. Even as he spoke, he wondered if he might be wasting his breath. But he had to try it anyway on the off chance that it might work. "There's no reason to start our old fight up again, Megatron. If it's the Energon you're after, then there's no reason why you can't negotiate for a fair amount…"

Megatron sneered once more. "Nice try, Prime," he scoffed, deliberately throwing Optimus' words back in his face. "But that could never be enough… In either case, I'd not be content living in your world of peace any more than you'd ever devote your entire existence to battle. And somehow, I doubt that any of the former Decepticons under my command are satisfied after being denied a fight for years on end." Megatron hesitated briefly, shifting his attention. "Isn't that right, Starscream?" he purposely baited.

Alexis narrowed her optics, stepping forward and laying one hand protectively on Starscream's arm, while trying to ignore the fact that the thoughts she was getting from him weren't exactly protesting Megatron's claim. "You leave him out of this!" she shouted before anyone could stop her.

Megatron stared right at Alexis, decidedly startled for a moment, before adopting his trademark malicious smile. Gazing thoughtfully at the spot where her hand rested on her fellow jet's arm, he said, "So, I see you've actually found yourself a mate, Starscream… And what an attractive one she is." Megatron paused again, then took a step forward. "Tell me, is she as good on the battlefield as when she's in your arms?"

Starscream bristled, and he maneuvered his left arm as if to shield the girl behind him. However, it was Optimus who answered by simply stating, "I am not going to warn you a third time, Megatron. Do not harass my soldiers!"

The Decepticon leader offered a wry smile in return. "Very well, Prime. But know that it's likely they won't all be yours for much longer." After a slight pause, he said pointedly, "I seem to recall, Starscream, that you would not be alive right now if not for me. Take that into consideration when you decide where your allegiances really lie."

Not liking where this was going, Optimus turned briefly to regard Starscream and was slightly disturbed by the jet's reaction to this. If anything, Starscream looked very uncertain on what his next move should be. But, judging by the expression on Alexis' face, it was obvious she realized it as well, and perhaps there'd be something she could say or do to offset it.

"Autobots," Optimus said firmly, making all conscious members of his team (except Scavenger) turn to regard him in slight surprise. "Let's withdraw…"

* * *

As the Autobots began to disappear through the Warp Gate that would take them back to Ocean City, Scorpinok watched them go with a sinking feeling. Though he knew on some level it would have been impossible for Optimus and his men to rescue him from Megatron, Scorpinok would much rather be in their company than that of a ruthless dictator.

Still, there was something encouraging in Megatron's order to Tidal Wave that Scorpinok be fixed. However, this entailed that Scorpinok be thrown into an Energon reservoir somewhere within Unicron. While this was healing the rends in his armor, the process of sealing the gaps in the metal was even more painful than the methods behind the injuries.

The sound of his own agonized yells echoing through the enormous chamber added to Scorpinok's conviction that he needed to find a way out of this mess. Had Tidal Wave not approached him and stupidly questioned him if he was feeling better, Scorpinok might not have realized at that point that the colossal Transformer was keeping him company.

Gritting his metal teeth, Scorpinok looked up and replied, "Does it sound like I am, you dolt?!" A pause, then, "You could have at least made the repairs bearable!"

Tidal Wave's optics narrowed ever so slightly. "You used us, Scorpinok," he said, much to his companion's surprise; perhaps Tidal Wave wasn't so dim-witted that he couldn't see the big picture. "You should be grateful that Megatron chose to repair you at all." When no reply was forthcoming, the giant bot turned and began to walk away, perhaps thinking that the conversation was over.

"Wait," Scorpinok called out, raising his visor so he could look at Tidal Wave with blazing red optics. When the latter turned back curiously, Scorpinok said, "Surely, Megatron has no further need to keep me here. Why not…?"

Tidal Wave cut in before Scorpinok could finish the thought, sounding as if he was repeating an order he had been given. "You are needed for the army that Alpha Q placed under your command. For now, you are the only one they will follow, Scorpinok… Pray that that never changes, or else we really will have no further use for you."

Scorpinok bowed his head, vaguely aware that Tidal Wave was departing as he reflected on the hopelessness of his situation. He could attempt to escape and was debating his chances of actually getting away when he received an unexpected transmission.

Scorpinok had had his visor almost from the day that his homeworld had been founded, and it had been designed for a purpose. It was outfitted with a private communication screen, that once upon a time had allowed Scorpinok to consistently be at the beck and call of any and all rulers that happened to be in power at the time.

Even more fortunate for Scorpinok was that Megatron likely didn't know that he and Alpha Q would continue to be able to correspond utilizing this method. As far as he was aware, the frequency was known only by the young sovereign.

Scorpinok lowered his visor over his optics, bowing his head even further and making sure to keep his voice as low as he could manage. Still, he made sure not to say something that could be construed as anything other than him talking to himself, just in case he was being watched.

In protest to the mandate that Alpha Q issued to him, Scorpinok said softly, "I can't stay here… If Megatron gets even the slightest hint that I refuse to serve him, he'll…"

Alpha Q interrupted before Scorpinok could finish the thought, sounding downright impatient. "You need not worry, my friend," he said, though his next statement did cause Scorpinok some concern; there couldn't be anything good about the young sovereign referring to his fractured personas as altogether separate entities. "We have already devised a plan to do away with Megatron. If all goes well, it will only be a matter of days."

Scorpinok's inquiries into the matter did nothing to put him at ease. "No!" he said in a sharper tone than he meant to, then followed it with, "He can't be trusted… Allowing him that much freedom is too big a risk!"

"We have no other choice, Scorpinok," Alpha Q responded. "And, there is no doubt that he has much of a grudge against Megatron as we do at this point. We have much leverage to sway him over to our side and ensure that he will carry out our bidding."

Though the points were valid, Scorpinok still felt some misgivings on whether this plan would really work. He could only pray that inviting a loose cannon like Sideways to join the team would produce some positive results… if the rogue bot didn't doublecross them first…

* * *

Tensions were running higher than ever upon the return to Ocean City. Whatever Alexis, Starscream, and Optimus had been experiencing when Tidal Wave had turned on them, it no doubt paled in comparison to their encounter with a certain resurrected commander they'd never expected to see again.

Though Alexis very much wanted to speak to Starscream alone, if only to put her mind at ease, she resigned herself to the notion that he wanted to see Demolisher before rumors of the encounter reached him. To keep herself occupied in the interim, she set about helping Scavenger and Ironhide with Hot Shot.

Much to Starscream's surprise, Starxis flew to his side as he was moving away from Alexis and the others. The youngling spent a moment hovering before him as if in expectation, until Starscream gave a sigh and raised one hand for Starxis to settle into.

Looking up at his adopted father with hopeful green eyes, Starxis chirped out, "Stay with us?"

Starscream furrowed his brow, uncertain what the youngling was asking before remembering Starxis had been present for every little bit of Megatron's speech. The jet gave another sigh, stroking Starxis' furry little head in a reassuring manner. "Nothing would make me leave you and Alexis," he answered softly, as he began to move in the direction of the front gate of the city. "Yes, Megatron saved my life, but I shouldn't have to rejoin his team as a way of saying thanks."

Starscream was surprised when the response came from Alexis. He instantly laughed, knowing he should have realized that Starxis would have opened a telepathic channel. _You have no idea how glad I am to hear that._

Starscream smiled faintly. _Save the celebrating for later… You know that Megatron's not going to be happy when he hears this -- especially if Demolisher denies him as well -- and he has __**always**__ been the type to retaliate._

After a short pause, Alexis answered, _You never told me you felt the way that Megatron said… That you miss the fighting, I mean._

Starscream bowed his head slightly, then put her at ease with, _Yes, I do miss it sometimes. But it doesn't rule my life as much as Megatron apparently thinks it does… Hardly seems fair that he should come back now. All that time we spent teaching the members of both factions how to co-exist in peace. If Megatron has his way, it could all soon be undone._

Somberly, Alexis said, _For your sake, and Demolisher's, I hope that's not the case._

Judging by the fact that Demolisher was calmly watching the clouds (though also looking bored) above the gate he was guarding, it was likely that news of the latest raid had not reached him. When he saw Starscream approaching, his face lit up for an instant, until he noticed that the jet was looking mighty serious. "What is it?" Demolisher asked hesitantly, uncrossing his arms and letting them hang at his sides.

Starscream remained silent for a moment, until he'd worked up the nerve to speak. "The other night, you said I'd win if you had to choose between me and Megatron. And now, I need you to tell me if that's really the truth."

Demolisher looked even more confused. "Of course it's true!" he said without delay. "Why would you even ask?!"

Starscream dimmed his optics for a long moment, then lit them up again and fixed his friend with a blank expression. "He's alive, Demolisher." When the hard-edged bot fixed him with an uncertain look, Starscream clarified it with, "Megatron's still alive."

Inevitably, Demolisher asked how that could be possible, and Starscream quietly laid out all details of the encounter. When the jet was finished, he had trouble discerning just what his friend was thinking. If he had to hazard a guess, he would say that Demolisher looked downright bewildered by this revelation.

But then, who among the Autobot team hadn't been thus far?

Starscream shifted his weight, disturbed by Demolisher's silence. Softly, he said, "One thing that Megatron has never believed in is that there could be a rapport between the two sides. That being the case, I'd hate to lose you as a friend, Demolisher." A slight pause, then, "If Megatron confronts you, I need to know that you could stand your ground."

Demolisher bowed his head, looking so conflicted that it was all Starscream could do not to press him on the issue. At last, he said quietly, "I'm sorry, Starscream. But… I honestly don't know…"

* * *

For a long while after Alpha Q had escaped within Unicron's head, Sideways remained leaning against one wall of the enclosure, gazing out into space through the gaping hole. It had been so long since he had been allowed an unobstructed view of anything other than the interior of Unicron's massive frame, and he was relishing every second he spent enjoying the view. It sure beat stewing over the fact that Megatron had disappointed him.

Sideways sighed, resigning himself to the idea that he just might be stuck in his current form forever. And maybe it wouldn't be so bad, being a ghost, provided he could discover a way to escape the confines of his prison.

Sideways was barely aware of a strange pulling sensation in the pit of his stomach before his world was suddenly turned upside down. The next thing he knew, he was standing within an altogether different (fully enclosed) chamber, his view of the galaxy gone. If he didn't know better, he would have said he'd lost consciousness for a few seconds.

Disoriented, Sideways began looking around wildly in an effort to get his bearings, and his optics narrowed when they landed on none other than Alpha Q. Though curious as to why the spindly bot was staring at him with such interest, Sideways gave a derisive snort. "What is this?!" he said gruffly. "You decide you needed someone to torment?"

Speaking through the head that Sideways had dubbed Nonchalant, Alpha Q said, "Far from it… My brothers and I have discussed the matter amongst ourselves, and we have decided we could use your services." After a short silence, in which Sideways was shaking his head over the notion that Alpha Q thought of his multiple personas as being separate individuals, Nonchalant went on with, "You have existed as something of an extension of Unicron for some time, or else we would not have been able to bring you here, Sideways."

Sideways' optics widened at this little tidbit, and he went to perusing the floor, lost in thought. At last, he looked up and said, "Is that why I've been unable to escape these past ten years? Because Unicron and I are connected on a basic level?!" When Nonchalant affirmed this, Sideways' immediate response, in a loud, angry tone, was, "Son of a glitch!" He spent a few moments fuming about this, before recalling what else Alpha Q had said.

Fixing his spindly companion with a derisive stare, Sideways said, "Whatever it is you want, what makes you think I would help you?"

"Perhaps because I'd offer you something in return I know that you've been wanting very much." Nonchalant paused, knowing that Sideways' curiosity had been aroused by the look his companion gave him. "We don't have very much Energon at hand, but there is just enough left that will help partially solidify your physical form, Sideways, and maybe to allow you to escape the confines of Unicron's body. For the most part, you would still be a ghost, but you would also have the ability to interact with the real world once more."

Sideways remained silent for a long while, his mind reeling with what he was being offered; Alpha Q had been the last one he'd expected this to be coming from. At last, he focused on the spindly bot and said, marking his agreement to the proposition, "What is it you would have me do?"

At this point, Laser Happy's face replaced Nonchalant's, and the former replied with, "Assassinate Megatron so that we may regain full control of Unicron…"


	12. Interludes

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Disclaimer: Don't own the Transformers; Hasbro does._

Chapter Eleven

Until she and Scavenger had deposited Hot Shot at the med-bay and heard Red Alert say that the damage was far too severe for him to fix through conventional means, Alexis hadn't really taken note of just how bad off their wounded comrade was. Throwing a glance at Hot Shot's prone form laid out on one of the exam tables, she blanched when she saw Megatron had done far more than just rip the guy's arm from his socket; part of the shoulder area had been torn away as well.

Subsequently, Red Alert radioed down to the mines to have a pair of the Omnicons mix up a hefty amount of liquid Energon to fill a large pool-like container. Once the tank was filled near to the brim, the medic then called on Alexis and Scavenger to help him get their impetuous comrade submerged. When Alexis questioned this, Red Alert answered by saying, even as he punched in some commands on the tank's control panel, "It's going to take some time, but the liquefied Energon will help regenerate Hot Shot's armor and wiring."

"I thought that only the Omnicons could touch that stuff," piped up a small voice to Alexis' right, startling her and making her turn to look at its owner. She'd not noticed that Kicker had accompanied them here.

Red Alert focused on the boy, giving a sigh. "In small doses, it can work like medicine for us," he responded, gesturing to himself and his two equally-sized friends. "What you're seeing here, Kicker, is a very diluted form of this mineral, in no way dangerous to a standard Transformer."

Kicker paused, briefly looking downwards. "Didn't seem to bother Megatron none," he said, speaking so softly that his three larger companions almost didn't catch it. When asked to clarify this, Kicker hesitantly went on with, "I could feel it coursing through him. Maybe four percent of what's been taken from us… And that's not all. Half of Alpha Q's army, Scorpinok, even the sword Megatron was using -- each of them carried an Energon signature at their core, almost as if it had been used to create them."

Kicker looked up at each of his three companions in turn before adding, "Whatever Alpha Q's plan was, odds are that Megatron didn't factor into it. Something must have happened to bring about this outcome."

Alexis sighed, saying softly, "And gave us an even bigger problem to worry about." She wrapped her arms around herself, trying her best to put her rattled mind at ease, as the enormity of the situation fully hit her. Briefly, she found herself wondering if the installation of the base defenses might have inadvertently led to this, but then shook off the thought as perhaps being too farfetched. She didn't know enough of the big picture to make that assumption.

Much to Alexis' surprise, Scavenger noticed her discomfort and was compelled to comment on it. She hadn't realized he'd been watching her so closely.

"There's no shame in being scared," the elder Transformer told her. "It's a good way to guarantee you'll be on guard and ready for whatever comes next." He paused momentarily, then turned to look at Kicker, appearing puzzled. "Speaking of being prepared… What's this about Scorpinok having an Energon nucleus? To my knowledge, none of the Transformers created in my day were manufactured with such a thing."

Kicker shrugged. "How should I know?! I just sense the stuff, I don't explain how it got there!" he said with a hint of irritation.

After a second or two of hesitation, Alexis turned to look at Scavenger, intrigued by the possibility of learning more about Scorpinok. "That reminds me," she said as a kicking-off point. "In our first encounter, I saw that Scorpinok has two alternate modes… Until the fact presented itself, I didn't think such a thing was possible."

Scavenger nodded. "It was a feature given to some of the earliest Transformers," he answered. "I'm not certain which of the elders specialized in that kind of technology, but it has died over the ages… I'm not even sure how many of the triple-changers, as they were called, are still in existence."

"So Scorpinok is older than you, then?" Alexis asked curiously.

"Barely… If memory serves, we were created around the same time. I remember training with him at an academy designed to allow the younglings of our race to discover what they excelled at… As I said earlier, I didn't socialize much with him, but I know he allied himself with a group of pacifists. And then, the war began, and Scorpinok and his friends fled Cybertron." Scavenger paused, rubbing at his face. "I never expected to see him again, especially not in this capacity." He looked at Alexis, seeming as if he was reading her mind by saying, "And no, I don't know how he, or Alpha Q, happened to come into contact with Megatron."

Alexis sighed, feeling a touch of disappointment; she'd been hoping to learn more than that about the being(s) who had instigated this whole mess. As a means of distracting herself, she focused back on Hot Shot, remaining silent and lost in thought for a time before asking, "Should we be worried that he hasn't yet regained consciousness?"

Red Alert looked across at Alexis and answered, "I wouldn't… More than likely, Hot Shot is suffering from shock as a result of the trauma he's been subjected to, much as a normal human would. The Energon in this pool will aid in fixing that along with his injuries." Off of the slightly dubious look she gave him, Red Alert said, "He's going to be okay, Alexis. Trust me."

A period of silence ensued, broken when Scavenger's mind drifted back to something Kicker had said. Turning to look at the teenager, he tentatively asked, "You said that Megatron's sword had been forged using Energon?" When Kicker nodded, Scavenger's expression turned introspective. Rubbing at his chin, he said, to all of his companions in general, "That gives me an idea… Perhaps we could have the Omnicons construct similar weapons for our team to use, such as swords, and rifles with Energon cartridges."

Red Alert nodded after a moment, smiling for the first time since Hot Shot had been brought to him. "That would certainly give us an edge. Thanks for the suggestion, Scavenger," he responded, turning away slightly after a moment and activating his comlink to send a message down to the mines.

While Red Alert was at this task, Alexis turned to regard Scavenger. "So, what do you plan to do now?" she asked. "As I understand it, you were only called upon because we temporarily needed the extra help… Will you be going back to Cybertron?"

Scavenger hesitated for a while, then shook his head. "Now that Megatron is back in action, I just might stick around for a while longer." He paused, then added, referencing his stint in the Decepticon camp as a spy, "Aside from Optimus, Starscream, and Demolisher, I probably know better than anyone the way Megatron thinks. And frankly, we need all the help we can get in figuring out what game is being played here." He looked at Alexis, a troubled glint in his optics. "I also wouldn't mind knowing why our friend, Alpha Q, even started this to begin with. If there's one thing I don't like, it's not comprehending what exactly it is we're fighting over."

Before Alexis could respond, she was distracted by the fact that Starscream's voice suddenly sounded in her head, heralding the arrival of him and Starxis. Even as her fellow jet entered the med-bay and came to stand at her side, Alexis was silently asking him, _How did it go with Demolisher?_

Starscream turned his head to gaze at her, simultaneously reaching for her hand. _I'm not sure yet_, he answered. _When we parted ways, he said he was going to go talk to Optimus about being taken off guard duty… He doesn't trust that he'd be able to resist going back to serve at Megatron's side, if confronted._

Alexis shook her head. _I don't understand. I thought… If not the Autobots, Demolisher has grown to be quite loyal to you…_

Starscream cast his gaze downwards. _That doesn't change the fact that the only reason he is where he is right now was due to Megatron's untimely "demise." If Megatron had never made that sacrifice, it's likely that Demolisher would have remained in servitude to him. _Looking back at Alexis, he added, _In this case, the fact that no clean break was made is working against us. From a psychological standpoint, Demolisher's allegiances are divided between me and Megatron._

Alexis gave a very soft sigh, taking half a step closer to Starscream and maneuvering so her arm was draped across his waist. Inclining her head so it rested against his upper arm, she answered, _Let's hope that Optimus proves agreeable to the request then._

She remained silent for a time, her thoughts in a state of flux, before she looked up at Starscream. _Would Optimus be in the command center? _When she got an affirmation to this, Alexis shifted her weight, reluctantly drawing away from him. _Good. There's something I need to discuss with him… I'll catch up with you later?_

Starscream nodded, watching as she took a few steps towards the exit. _Take care…

* * *

_

As Sideways discovered, regaining a solid form, even in part, actually sounded better on paper than it turned out to be. For several hours after Alpha Q had used the remainder of his Energon stash to do what he'd promised, Sideways had been trying continuously just to interact with his environment.

Though it took him a while to figure it out, Sideways nevertheless realized it took an enormous amount of concentration just to hold his newfound solidity. And even then, he couldn't maintain it for longer than six minutes at a time.

When he finally could pick up a loose rock from the floor of the chamber, Sideways could only laugh bitterly before chucking it at the far wall. With a huge amount of irritation, he turned to look at Alpha Q (or rather, Brainiac), crossing his arms. "Happy now?!" he asked. "And don't you dare hit me with more of that slag that I need to learn how to clear my mind! Frankly, it's not helping!"

Brainiac gave something like a smirk. "We do not wish to prolong this arrangement any more than you do, Sideways," he responded, a slight edge to his voice. "But just think of the rewards if you are successful. If Megatron is destroyed, we will be free to gather all the Energon we need. And with more of it at our disposal, we would be able to bring you all the way back."

Sideways sighed, trying to calm himself by thinking of how great it would be to achieve such a thing. To further put himself at ease, he decided to bring up a battle strategy that had been circulating in his mind for the past couple hours. "Yeah, about that… It's quite possible that our best chances of success are to strike at Megatron outside of Unicron's remains." A slight pause, and then, "He won't be expecting to see me out in the open, so that would give us the element of surprise. You'd just need to spy on him to figure out which of the Earth colonies he's planning to target next."

In the middle of Sideways' speech, he vaguely noticed that Alpha Q had shifted his weight and was gazing at him with something like shock. When the spindly bot failed to say anything for a full minute in response, Sideways gave an exasperated sigh and gruffly said, "What's your problem now?!"

Alpha Q raised one elongated hand, making a weak gesture in Sideways' direction. His statement ("We can't see you.") caused the latter to uncross his arms, lifting his hands in front of his face with slight irritation. However, Sideways' belief that his companion had to be playing games with him went out the window when he found himself indeed staring at empty air. As he watched, his hands phased back into view, though they looked almost transparent.

Twisting his arm to look at his right hand from different angles, Sideways gave an amused laugh when he saw this see-through state wasn't changing. "Isn't that interesting?" he said aloud, his mind in overdrive with how this could work greatly to his advantage…

* * *

Had he not been so intrigued by Optimus' responses whenever his attention drifted to the girl at Starscream's side, Megatron might have thought twice about letting the Autobots get away. As he and his team made their way back to the battleship (of Scorpinok and Alpha Q's decimated planet) that the Decepticon leader had adopted as his secondary base of operations, Megatron found himself wondering over what kind of relationship Optimus may have with her to generate such a reaction. 

Such thoughts had Megatron quizzing Cyclonus about the girl at the first opportunity, but was disappointed when his soldier claimed to know nothing. "I'd never seen her until after the raids started… I didn't even know that she and Starscream were involved," Cyclonus said.

After a long silence, Cyclonus felt compelled to speak again, gazing out through the ship's viewscreen to look at the remains of Unicron. He'd been caught off guard when the latest stash of stolen Energon had gone towards implementing repairs for the dark god, and now might be the perfect opportunity to find out why. "Forgive me for saying, Megatron," Cyclonus stated with a nervous cackle. "But what are we doing here? Do we really want to waste our energy in restoring someone who tried to wipe us all out?"

Megatron sneered, and his right hand curled into a fist at his side. Yet, he couldn't entirely fault Cyclonus for questioning his motives; perhaps some explanation was in order. "On the contrary," the Decepticon leader said in a tone that suggested he was scheming something, "that's exactly what we want."

After a second or two of silence, Megatron turned to regard his troops. While Cyclonus was staring at him with widened optics, Scorpinok looked almost indifferent, as if he didn't care one way or the other. Tidal Wave, on the other hand, was wearing an unreadable expression, though his gaze was firmly fixed on his leader. Offering them a wry smile, Megatron went on to say, "If our good friend, Alpha Q, can manipulate Unicron for his own ends, then I don't see why we can't do likewise. Once Unicron is fully restored, we will be using him and his power to achieve our own goals." Megatron paused, his gaze drifting to each of his three soldiers in turn. "The Mini-Cons were greatly sufficient in boosting the power of each and every one of us, so just think what we could accomplish with their creator at our disposal."

While Cyclonus' optics lit up with all the creative implications and Tidal Wave's expression remained unchanged, Scorpinok silently bowed his head. Though the latter didn't say so out loud, he was definitely concerned that Megatron may be biting off more than he could chew. He would have loved to say that the Decepticon leader didn't possess anywhere near the same level of mental discipline as himself or Alpha Q, but he feared what the consequences would be if he did. As Scorpinok had already figured out, Megatron didn't take kindly to any challenges to his authority.

When none of his troops offered a response, Megatron's thoughts soon returned to the girl and the measures Optimus had taken to keep Megatron from focusing too wholeheartedly on her. While his immediate goal was to sway Starscream and Demolisher back to his side, he may just focus his sights on her in future battles. _What better way to unnerve my greatest adversary? _the Decepticon leader mused.

After a moment, Megatron's attention was redirected, as he inevitably focused on what this battleship was lacking in regards to his vanity. "You know, men," he said in a slightly beguiling manner designed to make one of them adhere to the request. "I think I wouldn't mind having a throne constructed in here…"

Though Megatron expected that one of his soldiers would volunteer, he was unprepared for it to come from Tidal Wave, especially so quickly and eagerly. Even as Megatron turned in the direction of the colossal Decepticon, the big guy was giving a slight bow, one hand across his chest in a show of respect. "Tidal Wave will do as requested, Lord Megatron," he said, surprising the Decepticon leader with the enthusiastic tone in his voice.

As Megatron watched, Tidal Wave stood up straight and fixed his leader with something like adoration in his large yellow optics before turning away with the intention of getting to work.

Megatron blinked, caught off guard by this reaction. For a long, awkward moment, he stared after Tidal Wave's retreating form, simply thinking, _Okay, that was weird…

* * *

_

The last thing that Alexis had expected, upon reaching the command center of Ocean City, was for the doors to be locked. She had one hand raised to knock, but was stopped by the muffled, angry voices that she could hear from within; something about the tones raised her curiosity and made her simply stop to listen, though she couldn't make out most of what was being said.

The doors slid open so quickly a minute later, with a soft hiss that sounded explosively loud, that it caused Alexis to nearly jump out of her skin. With wide optics, she peered into the room, barely registering that Demolisher was standing near the door with his back to her before he said heatedly, "Do not say that this conversation is over! And stop pretending that it's as simple as you're making it out to be!"

On the opposite side of the room, Optimus looked up, his golden optics blazing with fury. However, whatever he'd been about to say in response died on his lips when he caught sight of Alexis. After a short pause, he made a visible effort to calm down before stating, "I think I've made myself perfectly clear, Demolisher. I am done arguing about this!" He made a gesture towards Alexis, causing the hard-edged bot to turn to look at her and deflating the fury in his optics as well. "Now, I suggest you return to your post," Optimus added.

For a long tense moment, Demolisher remained silent, looking as if he wanted to continue arguing but didn't dare now that he and Optimus had an audience. At last, he turned away with an angry cry, stomping past Alexis and taking off down the corridor. Feeling cold, Alexis watched him go before turning her focus onto the Autobot commander. "What's going on?" she asked hesitantly, unsure if she was going to like the answer.

Optimus sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter behind him. Quietly, he said, "Demolisher had asked to be relieved of his duties… And unfortunately, I'm going have to deny that request at this time."

Alexis blinked, staring across at Optimus in disbelief. "Why would you do that?" she blurted out after a few seconds of silence. "If Megatron gets to him…"

Optimus cut her off by saying, "Because I have faith in Demolisher to do what's right. When it all boils down, I have no doubt that he'll make the right decision."

Alexis paused again, wanting to argue the point but realizing in the same instant that she didn't know what all had been said in the conversation between Demolisher and the Autobot commander to have made Optimus reach this assumption. Still, she had to throw out one last statement to the contrary. "With all due respect, sir… If you're wrong, it's going to cause a rift between you and Starscream when this comes out."

Optimus gave a single nod, but said nothing more on the subject. Instead, he lifted his head a notch and stated, "May I ask what brought you here to see me?"

This sudden question caught Alexis off guard, but she quickly recovered. Clearing her throat and shifting her weight, she tentatively said, "I… I came to talk to you about Scorpinok." When Optimus nodded again as an indication for her to go on, she added, "During this morning's encounter, I couldn't help noticing that he seemed to be pleading for our help… I know we probably have no reason to trust him, but I wouldn't feel right about leaving him to Megatron if we could help it."

Optimus cast his gaze downwards, a slightly gloomy look coming to his optics. For a long while, he remained silent, seeming as if he was weighing all the options, before saying, "I hate to disappoint you, Alexis, but inviting Scorpinok into our camp should not be our main priority. We don't know enough of him or his motives to determine whether or not that would be a good thing… And frankly, that is a risk I'd rather not take at this point."

Alexis tilted her head downwards a notch, feeling slightly disappointed by this proclamation though she knew on some level that Optimus was right. Before she could offer a response, the communications speaker on the control panel buzzed to life and Jetfire's voice rang through. "Optimus, if you're there, we need you topside," Jetfire said. "We've just received reports of a portal opening near Ocean City."

Optimus took on a startled expression, even as he activated his own comlink to send a response. "Are you sure, Jetfire? I didn't think Megatron would initiate another attack this quickly…"

After a short silence, Jetfire responded with, "I don't think it's Megatron… Unless you can think of a good reason why he'd open a portal thirty miles outside the city, over the ocean."

Optimus hesitated for a moment, then told Jetfire that he was on his way before turning to Alexis and bidding her to come with him with a single look.

As they were approaching Jetfire (in his space shuttle guise) on the surface of Ocean City, Alexis was surprised when Kicker hurried to catch up with them, providing every indication that he'd heard the reports of the mysteriously-located gate by the fact that he was decked out in the suit of battle armor his father had built for him. While Alexis was curious about where the troublesome teenager consistently got his information, his tendency to want to be where the action was bothered her slightly.

And yet, hadn't she been just as gung-ho on joining in on a fight that wasn't hers, when she'd been Kicker's age?

Regardless of Kicker's hatred of all Transformers, his desire to battle for something he believed in (the safeguarding of his own planet, Alexis supposed) seemed to be overriding it. Seeing as this cause may help pave the way for him to get over his attitude problem and defiance with authority figures, Alexis was all for it.

Optimus, on the other hand, wasn't so agreeable, and responded to Jetfire's offer to let Kicker come with him to investigate the anomalous portal by forbidding the teenager to go along. Before any protest could be issued from the latter, Optimus turned towards Jetfire and ordered him to take off; thankfully, Jetfire, in spite of being in his vehicle mode, gave something like a shrug and did as requested.

Watching his "ride" depart without him, Kicker scowled, then turned to regard Optimus with open defiance. "What gives?!" he said brusquely.

Optimus squared his shoulders, saying simply, "I don't want you taking part in these battles anymore, Kicker… Now that he's out there, it's just too big a risk."

"You mean Megatron, don't you?" the teenager asked with a trace of bitterness.

Optimus nodded solemnly. "If he figures out that you have the ability to detect Energon, I can guarantee he'd make every attempt to try to capture you, Kicker. Staying low-key from now on will lessen the chances that he'd notice you and may even deter his men from thinking to share this information."

Kicker crossed his arms. "Oh, give me a break! You assigned me a set of guardians, remember? I doubt I'd be in that much danger with someone looking out for me all the time!"

Optimus narrowed his optics, feeling his patience being tested. "Enough, Kicker!" he said ferociously, scaring the teenager slightly with the amount of intensity in his tone. "You don't get to make light of this situation! Not when there's some doubt that my soldiers or I will be able to protect you 24/7!"

Kicker paled slightly, struck silent as the words and the meaning behind them fully sank in. He'd heard some of the stories over the years, about how much of a tyrant and overall bad-aft Megatron could be, but he'd never had cause to believe that the guy was more than any of the Autobots could handle. Shivering a little, he spoke Optimus' name in a questioning manner, perhaps seeking some denial that the situation wasn't as terrible as was being implied.

At this point, Alexis took a step towards Kicker, catching his attention as she dropped to her knees. In as sympathetic a tone as she could muster, she said, "It's time to start trusting us, Kicker. We will make every effort to keep you safe, but you have to meet us halfway… That means no more taking unnecessary risks. The less time you spend making an attempt to spite us, the greater the chances that no harm will come to you."

An odd flicker passed through Kicker's eyes at the conclusion of her speech, as if the words had sparked a bad memory, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. He gave a deep sigh, and the way his shoulders slumped indicated he was giving in. "Fine," he said, still sounding a touch irritated. "Where do you want me?"

Optimus breathed a soft sigh of relief, silently thanking Alexis for her intervention in the matter. "Down in the control room," he said in a gentle tone. "You'll be able to monitor the situation from there…"

* * *

By the time Jetfire arrived in the vicinity of the portal over the ocean, there had been no sign of an intruder passing through it. He spent a few minutes circling the "disturbance" in the air, but was puzzled by the fact that nothing seemed to be coming through the gate. 

What further added to Jetfire's belief that this had to be a false alarm were the heavy raindrops that began to fall from the dark clouds over his location. Near as he could tell, they didn't seem to be striking anything, which ruled out the possibility of an invisible enemy.

With a sigh, Jetfire banked around in the direction of Ocean City, prepared to make the trek back to his point of origin. He hadn't gotten far before he activated his comlink, broadcasting a message back to Optimus of his findings (or lack thereof). Though both he and the commander were confused by why the gate was even there, the shared speculation was that it had to be some kind of ruse to draw their attention away from the city.

Seconds after Jetfire had vacated the area and the gate had dissipated, a single figure shimmered into view, completely unaffected by the droplets of rain that were passing right through him. One of the benefits of being a ghost, Sideways mused, was that at least he didn't have to worry about a trivial thing like gravity.

Watching Jetfire disappear into the distance, Sideways smiled deviously beneath his faceplate. How fortunate it was that he could turn intangible, or else he might not have learned that a certain Autobot commander was present at this particular colony.

_Sorry, Alpha Q,_ Sideways thought. _But I think Megatron just got pushed back to a secondary target… I'd say that the privilege of being first in line goes to the one who killed me to begin with._ A slight pause, then, _I hope you enjoy the next few hours, Optimus Prime. They will surely be the last you'll ever see…

* * *

_

_Next up: Demolisher makes his choice, and Sideways makes his first assassination attempt..._


	13. Stepping Out of Line

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Twelve

Though she initially believed to the contrary, Alexis was too wound up to want to just sit back and do nothing. Shortly after Kicker had taken off for the control room, she had offered to Optimus to go with the boy to keep him company, though also for the purpose of keeping Starxis out of harm's way. Optimus soon agreed, though he looked quite distracted even as he did so. And, as she moved off, Alexis caught bits and pieces of the radio transmission that came to Optimus from Jetfire on the status of the gateway.

Though she'd broadcast to Starscream that she would be coming to pick up their adopted child, Alexis faced a moment of hesitation once she'd drawn close to the eastern entrance to the city, the one that was being guarded by Demolisher. After a minute of serious thought, she veered off towards the gate, moving as if in a daze as she went over in her mind just what she'd say to him.

As she rounded the bend and made her way through the alcove dividing the two quadrants of Ocean City between her and Demolisher, Alexis was slightly startled when her first sight of the hard-edged bot showed her that he was thoughtfully looking at and touching the Decepticon faction symbol adorning his upper chest.

Alexis hesitated for a moment more, then stepped forward with a sigh and tentatively said, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Demolisher jumped, looking in her direction with widened optics even as his hand dropped to his side. "Alexis," he said, sounding greatly surprised. "What are you… doing here?"

Alexis took another step forward, nervously wringing her hands together. "I… I came because I… saw the way you and Optimus were arguing."

Demolisher hesitated, then his expression changed so he was wearing a more rugged countenance. His tone, however, was still light and calm when he next spoke. "That was nothing for you to be concerned about."

Alexis sighed after a long moment, then went to stand next to Demolisher in a non-threatening manner. It relieved her when he didn't offer any objections to this, though he did throw the occasional curious glance her way. For a long while, they both remained silent, then she said, gazing across at the Decepticon symbol he bore, "That emblem must hold great meaning for you or you wouldn't have kept it all these years."

A fleeting half smile came to Demolisher's face at her words, but it was gone just as quickly. "It's who I am," he said simply, a hard note in his voice that Alexis found puzzling.

Alexis shook her head. "Would you consider us -- you and me, that is -- to be friends, Demolisher?" she asked hesitantly, startling him to the point that he stared at her in bewilderment for a full minute.

Finally, his face changed back into that tough look, though his voice remained serene. In either case, the way that the words tentatively came out told her how awkward he felt about saying them. "Honestly… I'd say you're pretty spectacular, for a once-human… If it wasn't for Starscream, I would never have taken the time to get to know you, Alexis." He paused, looking skyward momentarily. "Yes, I suppose I would call us friends."

Alexis nodded solemnly. Just as hesitantly as he'd been a moment ago, she said, "Optimus seems convinced that you'll make the right choice, if and when Megatron comes for you… I wouldn't mind hearing from you that that's the truth."

Demolisher blinked, then abruptly turned his head away, looking towards the ground with a slightly glazed expression. For a long while, he was silent, then answered, almost guardedly, with, "No matter what, I would never do anything that would harm you or Starscream. Never forget that."

Alexis tilted her head slightly to one side, blinking rapidly as she tried to make sense of his words. Somehow, they didn't quite sound like a confirmation of what Optimus believed. However, before she could press the issue, her comlink suddenly buzzed to life, and, surprisingly, it was Kicker's voice that rang through.

"Hey, Alexis, where the heck are you?" the teenager was saying brusquely. "The Big Guy," (Kicker was no doubt referring to Optimus with this moniker) "said you were coming down here, and that was like, ten minutes ago… You decide to make a pit stop along the way?"

Alexis sighed, throwing a quick glance at a blank-faced Demolisher. After a few tenuous seconds, she shifted her weight, and responded to the boy, "Hang tight, Kicker. I'm on my way now… I'll see you in a few minutes." With that, she ended the transmission, but lingered for a moment more.

It startled Demolisher when Alexis lightly touched his arm and offered, as a parting remark, "Whatever happens, I trust you…"

* * *

As the minutes continued to tick by, following the "false alarm," Starscream began to notice more and more just how nervous and fidgety Starxis was. At first, he attributed it as the youngling reacting to the moods of everyone around him, but this notion went out the window when Starxis gave voice to what was bothering him. Until that instant, it hadn't occurred to Starscream that the little guy had read Megatron's thoughts.

"Starxis not want Unicron back," the youngling said abruptly, causing Starscream to tear his gaze from the skies and look over at the little guy perched on his shoulder in surprise. When the jet answered with what was meant to be a reassurance, Starxis went on with, "Why Megatron wants Energon."

Starscream blinked, unsure how to respond for a long moment. All he could seem to focus on was 1) that Megatron had to be out of his mind, and 2) wondering whether or not this had been Alpha Q's plan as well. Finally, he murmured, "I'm with you all the way, Starxis. I wouldn't want to see that monster come back either."

After some more time spent in quiet meditation, Starscream shifted his weight, looking around the perimeter of the quadrant he'd been stationed to guard. Briefly, he wondered where Alexis was; she had radioed him some time ago to say that she would be coming to get Starxis to take down to the control room, but there was no sign of her just now. After determining that there may be no danger in moving, he activated his comlink, sending a message to Optimus that they needed to talk and that he was coming the commander's way.

Optimus' reply was instant and somewhat agitated. "No, Starscream. I need you to stay put! I've already had one soldier request to leave his post. I don't need two!" After a short silence, the sound of a deep sigh came through the comlink, and Optimus continued with, "Whatever it is, you can just as easily tell me this way."

Starscream bowed his head, and began, "Starxis told me he's read Megatron's thoughts… You're not going to like it when you hear what he, Tidal Wave, and Cyclonus are planning…"

* * *

When nothing further developed in the hour following Jetfire's investigation of the unusual portal, Scavenger had radioed to Optimus that he was vacating his post at the southern part of Ocean City and dropping in at the mines to see how the Omnicons were progressing at forging the new weapons. As he entered the room, none of the worker bots paid him any heed, they were so involved in their tasks.

Seeing a small number of blades and guns set on a nearby table, Scavenger went over to have a look. Gingerly, he picked up one of the swords, testing the weight and feel of it by taking a few tentative swipes at the air. Had a familiar voice not sounded from behind him, he might have believed that he'd been the only one who'd thought of coming down here.

Scavenger turned to face Red Alert, lowering the sword so it rested at his side. In answer to the medic's question, he said, "It handles pretty well… They should serve our needs perfectly in the coming battles." He paused, then added, "Hot Shot's recovery must be progressing well, or you wouldn't have left him alone…"

Red Alert nodded. "He still hasn't regained consciousness, but his arm has almost completely regenerated… Jetfire's watching over him now, just in case you were going to ask." The medic shifted his weight, his gaze moving past Scavenger to peer at the table. "Seems our Omnicon friends have been busy, to make so many weapons in so short a time."

Scavenger turned to look at the table, intending to voice his agreement, but it died on his lips when he registered something was off. Almost instantly, he could see that one of the blades, other than the one in his hand, had mysteriously gone missing. Given how uniformly the weapons had been laid out on the slab, this was fairly easy to determine.

Confused, Scavenger looked wildly around the immediate area, thinking that someone must have picked it up while he wasn't looking; given that he'd only had his back turned for less than three minutes, the sword surely could not have gone far. However, he could see no trace of it, and Scavenger shortly disclosed this to Red Alert when the medic questioned his behavior.

Try as they might, both Scavenger and Red Alert could not account for the missing weapon. Though they elected not to waste an extraordinary amount of time dwelling on this, it still served to make them slightly more tense than they'd been thus far. Optimus shared their worry over the issue when they reported it to him, but their commander nevertheless stated that the matter could be investigated at a later time, when they weren't under threat of an imminent attack.

Had any one of the three Transformers known at that point when, where, and in whose hands the weapon would resurface (in forty minute's time), they most certainly would have known how gravely serious the matter was…

* * *

Optimus was surprised that he wasn't at his wit's end, at the time when reports of a second portal appearing directly over Ocean City reached him. Yet, despite how restless and prone to wandering his troops had been (not to mention the minor yet worrying mysteries that begged to be solved), every single one of them was positioned just where he'd instructed them to be, now that the attack looked to be imminent.

Standing next to Ironhide near the top of the city's western spire, Optimus readied his gun, his gaze fixed intently through the heavy rain on the crackling of energy in the air in the distance. The storm that Jetfire had encountered over the ocean had turned their way and was casting a slight pall over the city and its occupants. He let out a deep breath, silently telling himself that, if everything went according to plan, then he and every single one of his troops should fare alright.

But then, Optimus hadn't anticipated for the attack to come from anyone or anything other than Megatron.

The Autobot commander had just moved an inch or two to the right, so he was partially shielded behind one of the tower's panels; at the same time, he instructed Ironhide to take cover as well. Though his attention was focused forward, Optimus still heard a slight disturbance in the air, over the rain, behind him -- almost like a low hum. Curious, he began to turn to look, but before he could fully circle around, something hit him across the center of his unprotected back.

Optimus gasped, instantly stiffening at the unexpected wave of pain and aware sparks that accompanied the newly formed gash running diagonally across his back. Before he could even recover, it was joined by a second wave, as an unseen weapon swiped across his right shoulder.

Forgetting about the portal in the distance, Optimus spun on his heel, simultaneously leaving the safety of the panel he'd been shielded behind. Quickly, he wiped away the raindrops that fell across his optics, but couldn't see any sign of an attacker either way.

It was perhaps fortunate that Optimus turned to the right when he did, with the intention of calling out a warning to Ironhide in case the rookie was in danger of being attacked as well. However, when something sharp pierced his upper arm straight through (which, if he'd stayed put, would likely have penetrated his spark), the pain was intense and unexpected enough to cause him to stumble. Desperately, he called out Ironhide's name, and the words had scarcely left his lips before he took another shaky (nearly fatal) step back.

When his heel failed to connect with anything, causing Optimus to be thrown off balance and begin to tumble backwards, away from the "safety" of the tall spire, the commander was given a new reason to panic. The Autobot commander barely registered that Ironhide was shouting his name in alarm, making it clear that the rookie had by this point become aware that something was wrong, before he was falling through open air…

* * *

Unseen by both Optimus and Ironhide, Sideways watched, almost dumbfounded, as the Autobot leader began to fall from the tower. While it wasn't quite what he had expected to happen, when he began his assault with the stolen sword that he'd willed to become as invisible as he was, he recovered in time to move to the edge of the spire, fully intending to see Optimus perish.

However, Sideways was greatly disappointed by the outcome.

Optimus had fallen perhaps ten to fifteen feet before he had twisted in mid-air, making several attempts to break his fall by making feeble grabs at the platforms lining the length of the tower, all the way down. By the sixth one, he managed to hold on for an instant, giving a grunt of pain as he was jolted to a halt. The resulting flare from his injuries, however, caused him to lose that tenuous hold and drop to the next outcropping.

For a long moment that seemed to last several minutes but was probably only a few seconds, Optimus remained in a crouched position, trying like mad to make sense of what had just happened. Had he been allowed a longer reprieve, he might have recovered his bearings enough to refocus on the imminent attack from Megatron.

As it was, Optimus' attention was drawn by the same hum in the air he had heard earlier, and it instantly told him that whatever had been assaulting him at the top of the spire had followed him down. With wild golden optics, he looked all around, but could see nothing except for the barest shimmer indicative of some sort of disturbance in the air. Fearing that he may not survive another assault from this hidden enemy if he stayed put, he rose to his feet and began to move.

As Optimus leapt from one ledge to the next, swiftly making his way down the tower to more solid ground, he began to register that the sounds of battle were reaching him, from both above and below. _So, _he thought grimly, _Megatron's finally shown himself…_

* * *

Had Megatron and his army not begun to emerge from the portal and proceeded to fire, there would have been nothing to stop Ironhide from going to Optimus' aid. Quickly, he ducked back behind the panel; it proved to be an effective shield against the laser blasts that began to rain down.

As he returned fire, Ironhide was doing his best to shut out the thoughts that the Autobot commander needed his help. As soon as he could, he made his way around the rear side of the tower, peering over the edge and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Optimus was thankfully still alive. However, it wasn't until he sent a short broadcast to his partner, Sky Dancer (he couldn't think of her by any other name), to explain the situation that he was fully able to banish all thoughts of abandoning his post from his mind.

For the next ninety seconds, Ironhide was focused wholeheartedly on taking out the predatory bots nearest his location. However, when the metallic falcons with their jaguar passengers suddenly retreated out of range of his cannon and went to hovering at a suitable distance that made taking them down impossible (as far as the ground-based Transformers went), Ironhide suffered an instant or two of surprise.

It took Ironhide a few seconds to see that Megatron and Cyclonus (there was no sign of Tidal Wave) had come through the gate. While the latter had moved to intercept Jetfire, who'd been closing in on the duo, the Decepticon leader was swooping in towards the entrance to Ocean City.

Feeling a surge of anger as his view of Megatron brought Hot Shot to mind, Ironhide wasted no time in moving onto the tower's elevator platform, pressing the button that would lower him to ground level. He may be acting rashly -- and may even be far out of his league -- but he was determined to have an up close and personal shot at the Decepticon commander…

* * *

Until he looked up and confirmed that Megatron was indeed coming his way, Demolisher had almost hoped that his former commander would forget all about him and simply focus on stealing as much Energon as he could. As Megatron drifted in for a landing on the bridge several yards away, Demolisher took a step back, feeling downright terrified and wishing he was somewhere -- _anywhere _-- else.

_I don't care what Optimus believes, _Demolisher thought frantically. _There's no way I can do this._

Smiling smugly, Megatron took a step forward, then another. Thankfully, he misinterpreted the reason his former and most loyal soldier was looking at him with such wide optics. With a short laugh, he said, "Surprised to see me, Demolisher?"

As Megatron watched, Demolisher regained his composure to some degree and took a hesitant step forward. The hard-edged bot looked ready to speak when he and Megatron were interrupted by an unexpected third party.

Ironhide was leaping down from the roof of the building before Megatron even realized he was there, landing right in front of Demolisher and taking a menacing step forward. His one statement convinced the Decepticon leader that this Autobot had to be extremely reckless if he'd rush into any fight without thinking of the consequences. "You're mine!" Ironhide barked out, taking another step forward.

That was as far as Ironhide got before Demolisher lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the rookie's shoulders as a means of holding him back. Once he realized he was being restrained, Ironhide growled and said, even as he struggled to get loose, "Let go of me!"

Demolisher's optics narrowed slightly. "Don't even think about it, Ironhide," he warned. "You're no match for him!" He turned his head to look at Megatron, only to be disturbed by the dark glint in the Decepticon commander's optics. Demolisher had the reason behind that look figured out within seconds; Megatron couldn't be happy to see his once-upon-a-time most loyal subordinate actually _protecting _an enemy soldier.

The situation went from bad to worse when Ironhide violently jerked free of Demolisher's grip and started forward once more. Moving swiftly, Demolisher seized the rookie by one shoulder and spun him around. In the next instant, his fist slammed into Ironhide's gut with such force it surely knocked a few circuits loose.

This notion was supported when Ironhide's optics began flickering, dimming and brightening at random in reflection of how harsh the blow had been. As if he'd had the wind knocked out of him, he weakly sank to his knees, then collapsed in a heap on the ground. Given that Ironhide seemed unable to move very much past this, perhaps a few circuits that enabled motion had been jarred loose. Raising his head, he said feebly, "Demolisher… Why?"

Demolisher stared blankly down at Ironhide for a moment, stating simply, "Because this is not your fight." Without waiting for an answer, Demolisher looked back up at Megatron, then moved to advance towards his former leader, readying his weapons.

When he came near Megatron, Demolisher stopped and actually had to tilt his head back to meet the former's gaze. Briefly, Demolisher bizarrely mused, _Has Megatron always been this tall?_ Out loud, he said, "This battle's between you and me."

Megatron hesitated, slightly thrown by this declaration, then gave a cruel smile as he noticed that Demolisher looked to be getting increasingly intimidated the longer the silence wore on and the Decepticon leader failed to make a move against him. At last, Megatron said, in an almost alluring tone, "Words mean nothing, Demolisher, if you do not have the resolve to back them up." He paused, then added, "I was planning to blast my way into this wretched city, but I think I would rather see you open the door you've been assigned to guard yourself."

Demolisher didn't even have to formulate a response; Ironhide did it for him. Tilting his head up, the trainee said, "No! Don't listen to him, Demolisher!"

Megatron sneered in Ironhide's direction, though it provided him with the perfect ammunition he needed to proceed. "If you have lowered yourself to taking orders from Autobots, then perhaps I don't know you as well as I thought I did, Demolisher," he said, still using that alluring voice. "Wouldn't you prefer to return to the life best suited for you?"

Demolisher turned to look at the gate in question that Megatron had requested him to open with a blank expression, feeling very torn about what his next move should be. Silently, he prayed, _Primus, give me the strength to make it through this…_

* * *

Though they were safely sequestered within the control room, Kicker, Alexis, and Starxis were sharing in the stress generated by the combatants on the outside. Shortly after they had received an abbreviated message from Ironhide that Optimus had been attacked, Alexis had worked at pulling up visuals of each and every Transformer she called friends that were positioned on the exterior of Ocean City.

After determining that Scavenger and Starscream (she was unable to locate Jetfire) were alright, even if they were pinned down by the invading predatory bots, Alexis turned her attention to the monitor on the far left. Before she could question why Optimus seemed to be swiping wildly at empty air, she could see a shower of sparks suddenly jumping from a shallow cut at his chest, which she could have sworn hadn't been there an instant ago.

"What…?" Alexis said, only to break off and take a breath. "What in the world is he fighting against?!"

Kicker glanced up at her even as Starxis began whining slightly (perhaps the youngling couldn't see anything either). The hotheaded teenager, however, was as brash as ever when he stated, "Don't you see it?!" Without waiting for her to answer and seeming to grow even more agitated when she looked at him in confusion, Kicker turned and leaned over the control panel, pressing the communications button with his hand while keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the far left monitor. After a second or two, he barked out to Optimus that the mystery attacker was moving in behind him.

Feeling flustered, Alexis returned her gaze to the screen, in time to see Optimus responding to the instruction without question. Though she couldn't make sense of it, she could tell by the way Optimus' fist recoiled when he struck out at seemingly empty air that it had connected with something. Or perhaps, someone…

Alexis looked back at Kicker when he once more told Optimus which direction the hidden adversary was coming from. "What is it, Kicker?" she asked fervently. "What do you see?!"

"It's another Transformer, and one I've never seen before," Kicker said, quickly and brusquely, before depressing the button on the console once more. "On your left, Optimus!"

As Alexis and Kicker watched, the Autobot commander turned in the direction indicated, taking another swing at the air. However, Alexis was caught off guard when this punch failed to connect with anything, causing Optimus to stumble slightly. Swiftly, he activated his comlink, and his anxious tone soon sounded through the control panel's speaker. "Kicker?"

Kicker shook his head, looking downright bewildered before answering, "I don't know. He just disappeared…" The teenager quickly adjusted the camera to offer an expanded view of the area, then added, "I don't see him anymore."

Optimus took a deep breath upon hearing that, working to calm his frazzled nerves. Still, it took him some time to relax enough to focus on the sounds of battle around him and remember there were more pressing issues to deal with. "Where's Megatron?"

Alexis hesitated, then let her gaze drift from one monitor to the next, searching for the location of the Decepticon leader. However, she froze when her optics landed on a screen near the center and she saw just who Megatron was with. The longer she watched in silence, the more disturbed she became by the fact that Demolisher was making no attempt to battle his former commander. He and Megatron currently stood a few feet away from each other, looking as if they were simply talking.

Not only that, but she could see Ironhide lying immobile on the ground between Demolisher and the main gate, one hand at his stomach as if he was in pain. Until she saw him weakly raise his head, she couldn't discern if her partner was alive or dead, but the overall picture didn't look at all good. "Oh, no," she breathed…

* * *

Given that Demolisher failed to move or say anything, once he'd turned to look at the sealed doorway, it was inevitable that Megatron's patience would be tested. If anything, it made the Decepticon leader wonder if the hard-edged bot had gone considerably soft over the past decade.

With a hard expression, Megatron said, "Perhaps I misjudged you… The Demolisher I knew wouldn't have hesitated to follow orders." He paused, waiting for a response that wasn't forthcoming, before stating, "Let me give you a directive that's easier to go along with then. Turn and face me."

Demolisher did just that, though somehow managed to look quite reluctant as he did so. Lowering his head a notch, Megatron said simply, "Good… Let's try one more, shall we? Raise your weapons, and fire at me, Demolisher."

When Demolisher held his hands up with his laser ports aimed at his former commander, it caused Megatron to experience a brief flicker of doubt. But, as the seconds ticked by and the hard-edged bot failed to fire, Megatron began to wonder if Demolisher was just involuntarily doing whatever he was told -- at least in part.

As Megatron watched, Demolisher blinked, as if the second part of the request had just hit home. With wide optics, the hard-edged bot looked down at his hands as if not recognizing them, then returned his attention to Megatron. "I… I can't," he said shakily.

Megatron's response was so sharp and harsh that it made Demolisher cringe. "Do it!" Megatron barked out. "You're the one who declared us to be enemies and said you wanted to battle!"

Ironically, the rain water that began to stream down Demolisher's face almost made it seem as if he were shedding tears from his optics. When he spoke a single word, it came out as a pitiable moan. "No…"

Demolisher's hands began shaking not long after this; Megatron was briefly surprised that the hard-edged bot's weapons were still aimed at him. It was at about this point that the Decepticon commander began to see just how conflicted the soldier before him was, and Megatron was thus given a better sense on how to coax Demolisher into returning to the fold. While he hadn't intended it, the demands that he'd placed on his companion's shoulders were working to give Demolisher a push in the right direction.

When Megatron next spoke, it was in a much calmer, though still derisive, tone. "Oh, don't be so pathetic, Demolisher. Shooting me can't be any more difficult than the many Autobots you've likewise dealt with. Now do it!"

Demolisher remained silent for a time, a variety of expressions (from sorrow to helplessness to a fleeting hint of determination) crossing his face that Megatron took as a good sign. The more seconds that continued to tick by, the more apparent it became that Demolisher was _not _going to shoot his former commander.

The surest sign that Demolisher had completely lost his nerve was when he spun on his heel and opened fire on the door that Megatron had demanded he open. In an instant, the metal partition fell under the force of the blasts, allowing a free-access pass into the interior of the city. A second later, Megatron gestured to the predatory bots circling overhead to make their way inside, then stepped forward and turned to look at the hard-edged bot at his side.

"There, following _that_ order wasn't so bad, was it?" Megatron said smoothly. A slight pause, then, "Oh, and just a word of advice, Demolisher. If you want to see the future, remember whose side you're on."

Demolisher turned his head, gazing up at Megatron with an oddly-vacant look in his optics. In a tone that was just as empty, he said, "I'm yours to command…"

* * *

If Starscream had been even remotely in view of what was transpiring at the main entrance, there was nothing that would have stopped him from flying in to put a stop to it. As it was, he was currently occupied with Cyclonus and a small number of the predatory bots in the sky over the southwestern part of the city. After Jetfire had fallen -- Cyclonus had gotten in a very lucky shot -- it had been left to Starscream to move in to counter the attack.

What Starscream hadn't expected was for the ever-eccentric Cyclonus to actually get chatty in the midst of their firefight. In the midst of firing and dodging the return blasts, Cyclonus called out, using a nickname that the jet didn't much care for, "Ease up, Screamer. There's no reason for the two of us to be fighting."

Starscream narrowed his optics, taking that to mean that Cyclonus apparently expected him to want to rejoin Megatron's team. Funny how his former comrades thought so little of him, to assume he was so subservient. Even as he fired another volley from his laser cannons, Starscream reached up to detach his wing sword to show he meant business.

Surprisingly, Cyclonus remained unafraid, even going so far as to make light of the situation. "Oh," he said in a joking, babyish tone. "Is wittle Screamer actually planning to hurt me?"

Starscream growled, adopting a fighting stance with the sword's hilt held firmly in both hands. "Don't mock me, Cyclonus!" he spat out, shifting his weight. "Unless you don't wish for this fight to be fair, then I suggest you arm yourself!"

Cyclonus answered with one of his trademark cackles, at least until Starscream moved towards him, and the sword arced towards the eccentric bot. Moving at a speed he didn't know he possessed, Cyclonus backpedaled, only just avoiding the blade; his laughter instantly ceased. "Hey! Watch it!" the eccentric bot comically yelled out. "You almost hit me!"

Starscream gave an ironic smirk. "Have I made my point yet?" he asked dryly. "Or do I actually have to say aloud that I have no intention of going back to serve at Megatron's side for it to sink in, Cyclonus?"

For a few seconds, Cyclonus could only stare across at Starscream in pure disbelief, then answered with, sounding downright serious for a change, "My mistake… I would have thought that you'd owe a debt to Megatron for having saved your miserable hide, Screamer!"

Starscream stood his ground, answering simply, "That debt, as you call it, was voided at the instant that Megatron chose to use it to try and manipulate me." The jet shifted his weight again, holding his sword up in a semi-threatening manner. "When you see him next, make sure you tell him that my place is here, among the Autobots."

Before Cyclonus could offer a reply, the Terrorcons surrounding him suddenly began to move away. The eccentric bot, in a slight panic, half turned to look after the predatory bots as they retreated. "Hey, get back here!" Cyclonus screeched in a downright comic manner.

Starscream would have laughed had he not noticed that the predatory bots were veering downwards, towards the eastern entrance to Ocean City. A second later, his comlink buzzed to life, and Ironhide's voice rang through; Starscream froze once he heard the report. "Heads up, everyone!" Ironhide said in a low but heated tone. "Demolisher just blew open the main gate! Alpha Q's… I mean, _Megatron's _army is overrunning the city!"

Starscream recovered from his shock an instant later, and he began to move past Cyclonus in pursuit of the predatory bots, more for the intention of getting to his friend than for anything else. However, Cyclonus didn't let him get far before renewing the fight between them.

Even as he fought to hold the eccentric bot at bay, Starscream could only think wildly, _Demolisher… What in the world happened…?_

* * *

When Alexis had worked to pinpoint Starscream's location on the monitors, she had fully intended to send a telepathic message to him to go help Demolisher. However, that idea went out the window when she saw her fellow jet was fighting Cyclonus; she instantly decided that the last thing she wanted to do was distract him and possibly get him hurt as a result.

Consequently, Alexis returned her gaze to the central screen, simultaneously raising the audio so she and Kicker could listen in. Both she and her teenaged companion soon mutually agreed that reaching out to the hard-edged bot over the coms could prove disastrous given how stressed he was. If the sound of their voices caused Demolisher's laser weapons to discharge involuntarily, then Megatron would surely respond in a violent way.

Though she was praying for Demolisher to stay strong, Alexis' hope wavered when she saw him give in to Megatron's demands. Numbly, she listened to Ironhide's subsequent broadcast as it came through the speakers, then froze even more when she saw Megatron turn to focus on her fallen partner.

Menacingly, Megatron took a step towards Ironhide, saying in a dangerous tone, "Allow me to show you how deadly it can be to challenge someone much more skilled than you are."

Until she heard the sound of Optimus' voice from somewhere off camera ("Leave him be, Megatron!"), Alexis was unaware that the Autobot commander was even there. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to look at Kicker, but the words she'd intended to speak died on her lips when she saw the teenager had disappeared when she wasn't looking. Until she noted that Kicker's armored helmet, which had been sitting on top of the computer console, was gone, Alexis couldn't imagine that he would have left the relative safety of the command center.

With a soft groan, Alexis moved to vacate the control room as well, with Starxis perched firmly on her shoulder, thinking simply, _What are we going to do with that kid…?_

* * *

As soon as the reports that the city had been breached had gotten to them, several of the Omnicons down in the mines had snatched up the swords they had forged and began to make their way towards the upper levels. One by one, each of them broke away from the main group, heading to different locales of Ocean City to provide their larger Transformer counterparts with some means of defense. Pre-battle, it had been decided that the weapons would be distributed only as a last resort; all the better to give the Autobot team the element of surprise.

When Alexis caught up with Kicker, she was surprised to see that he had acquired one of these swords as well; she didn't know whether it had been given to him or if he'd somehow managed to snag one. She would have thought the blade to be too large and unwieldy for someone of Kicker's size to handle, but the teenager had apparently found a way to manage it. The fact that one of the metallic jaguars rested at his feet, nearly sheared in half, certainly provided concrete evidence of this.

In the med-bay, the last thing that Red Alert had expected was for the predatory bots to converge on his location. Shortly after a group of them had blasted their way into the infirmary, the medic gathered that they were after the Energon, diluted or not, in the tank in which Hot Shot was still submerged, given the way their gazes fixed on it. Upon this realization, Red Alert proceeded to blast them as quickly as he could in an effort to take them down; the last thing he wanted to see was for his patient to be further harmed.

Despite his best efforts, Red Alert soon was overwhelmed by the metallic jaguars, who came to pile on type on him. The jaws of a select few closed around his arms, but Red Alert paid them no heed. He was more concerned with holding off the jaguar that was trying to sink its teeth into his throat.

When the tank suddenly shattered, spilling the liquid Energon out all over the room, Red Alert could only imagine the worst. He redoubled his efforts to shake off his attackers, but soon found that he didn't need to bother. They were seemingly startled out of their attack by the sudden flood, and quite a few of them were carried across the room on the current.

Red Alert threw a punch at the face of the lone jaguar still assaulting him, effectively shattering a few of its metal teeth and stunning it into letting go. Before it could recover, the medic fired a point blank shot at it, effectively terminating the darn thing.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Red Alert turned in the direction of the tank and was surprised to see Hot Shot standing just outside of the newly-formed hole, firing at the remaining predatory bots. Once they were all eliminated, Hot Shot turned in Red Alert's direction, flexing his regenerated arm in a meaningful way. "Good as new," Hot Shot said simply. "Thanks a bunch." A pause, then, "Don't just sit there gawking, Red Alert! Odds are they need us outside…"

* * *

At first sight, Megatron was surprised to see Optimus already looking so battered, and the Decepticon leader briefly wondered who had gotten to his fellow commander and inflicted such damage. Nevertheless, he did shift his attention away from Ironhide and focused on the adversary he much preferred to battle. Optimus was nothing if not the worthiest and most challenging of opponents.

With a wry chuckle, Megatron quickly surveyed their surroundings, even looking upwards at the metallic falcons that were circling over their location. While it bothered him slightly that Demolisher was looking downright numb and demoralized (had the hard-edged bot really been so entrenched in this peaceful world to generate this reaction?!), Megatron's eagerness to initiate a battle made him cast it aside.

In the next instant, Megatron looked back at Optimus and raised one hand, willing his sword to flash into existence once more. "Your odds aren't looking so good, Prime. Tell me, are you prepared to lose another city?"

Optimus' optics narrowed. "Not this city, Megatron! Not this time!"

Megatron took a couple steps forward, saying simply, "Allow me to prove you wrong." That was all the warning he provided before he swiftly advanced, taking a swing at the Autobot leader with the ornate green and purple blade.

Optimus dove out of the path of the sword, but just barely, wincing as the sudden motion caused his injuries to flare. Megatron responded by turning and coming after him again, and Optimus once more dodged the weapon's arc. At this point, the Autobot commander experienced a flicker of doubt; perhaps he shouldn't have gotten into this, being so wounded. The renewed pain was sure to slow him down, sooner or later.

Megatron seemed to realize this as well, as he noted that Optimus' response time seemed to be slowing, the longer their fight, as it was, went on. And, when his opponent collapsed, not two minutes later, Megatron could only look on in triumph. Taking a menacing step forward, he pointed the blade loosely in Optimus' direction. "Any last words, Prime?" he said confidently.

The answer came not from the Autobot leader, but from a loud feminine tone in the vicinity of the nearby walkway. Both leaders turned to look up at Alexis when she called out Optimus' name to alert him. Before Megatron could fully register that she held a sword in one hand, she was throwing the weapon down to Optimus.

Having a sword in his clutches seemed to give the Autobot leader a renewed sense of vigor. Tightening his hand around the hilt, Optimus rose to his feet, adopting a fighting stance. "Seems our strength is once more equal, Megatron," he said with a note of satisfaction.

"We'll see about that!" Megatron spat out, advancing on his opponent and feeling an unexpected wave of glee as their swords began to clash. As always, there was nothing that Megatron loved more than to be in the heat of battle -- the more challenging, the better.

As the fight between the two faction leaders continued, and Optimus and Megatron moved towards the central pavilion of Ocean City in the process, the Omnicons continued to distribute weapons to all Autobots out on the battlefield.Before the Decepticon commander even knew it, his forces were being dangerously overwhelmed, and, in the case of the Terrorcons, eliminated.

Until Cyclonus wandered into the pavilion in an effort to keep out of range of a blade wielded by Jetfire (who'd sufficiently recovered from earlier being blasted out of the air), nervously calling out Megatron's name, the Decepticon leader had been unaware that the tides had been turning around him.

Demolisher, too, was retreating to Megatron's side, pursued by Ironhide. It seemed remarkable that the hard-edged bot was even moving, given that he was still wearing that deadened look. As soon as he came to a halt next to the Decepticon leader, facing Ironhide, he instantly returned to a fully dazed state, as if he would lose his nerve if he so much as thought about what he was doing.

Megatron shifted his attention away from Demolisher a second later, looking all around the pavilion as Optimus' team came to surround him and his men. Briefly, he wondered if bringing Tidal Wave and Scorpinok along for the ride would have made any difference. (The former was busy constructing a throne aboard the battleship, as well as keeping a close eye on the latter, whom Megatron didn't fully trust.)

Optimus was surely smirking beneath his faceplate as he said, "Ready to surrender, Megatron?"

Megatron responded to the smirk with one of his own, responding, "This isn't over yet, Prime… I have more than one trick up my sleeve."

Before any one of the Autobots could figure out what that meant, Megatron's sword suddenly fazed out of view. A second later, the Decepticon leader held up both hands, almost cupping them together; an unnatural purple light soon appeared in the space between his two palms.

In almost the same instant, Megatron, Cyclonus, and Demolisher were suddenly enveloped by a near-blinding sphere of white light, and the crackling in the air above them seemed to indicate that a portal was forming right above their heads.

Though Optimus and his team were caught off guard by this and wondering where Megatron had gained the ability to perform such a feat, not a one of them could deny that the three Decepticons were making a hasty retreat.

Frantically, Starscream looked towards Demolisher as he swooped in to the pavilion, pleading with his friend not to do this. Yet, he could soon see it was perhaps fruitless. For whatever reason, Demolisher had shut off his optical sensors, and the fact that he failed to respond in any way to the sound of Starscream's voice suggested he'd powered down his audio receptors as well.

Megatron, Cyclonus, and Demolisher were shortly thereafter lifted off the ground by some unknown means, swiftly disappearing through the portal which then rapidly vanished from sight.

Numbly, Starscream went to watching the spot where the portal had been, scarcely aware that Alexis' hands were coming to rest on his chest and right arm. If Optimus hadn't spoken -- offering some explanation to Ironhide about Megatron having the sense to recognize when he'd been beaten -- Starscream didn't know how long he would have remained lost in a daze.

Enraged, Starscream rounded on Optimus, drawing the attention of everyone gathered by yelling out, "Why?! Why was Demolisher even out here?!"

Optimus sighed, looking instantly tired and worn down. He'd known that he'd have to face this, but even anticipation didn't make it any easier. "Starscream…" he started, only to be cut off by the angered jet.

"Demolisher didn't want to be in a position that would put him in Megatron's reach!" Starscream said heatedly, taking a couple steps towards the Autobot commander. "Why the slag would you…?"

Alexis quickly stepped in front of Starscream, making an effort to hold him back. She may be angry about this as well, but the last thing she wanted was to see a physical fight break out over it. "Stop," she pleaded. "You need to calm down…"

The words were barely out of Alexis' mouth before Optimus cut in, taking a step forward and crossing his arms. "Demolisher was still on guard duty at his own request," Optimus said firmly, causing Starscream to freeze and regard him with widened optics. Even Alexis turned to regard the Autobot commander in surprise. "That was his decision, not mine."

For a long moment, Starscream said nothing as he tried to process this. At last, he looked up and said weakly, "Why?"

Optimus sighed, uncrossing his arms and reaching down to remove something from a compartment at his back. A second later, he was holding a data pad out towards Starscream, throwing a quick glance at Starxis perched on Alexis' shoulder. "Demolisher wanted me to give this to you, in the event that he did cave in… It may not provide all the answers you want, but I hope that it puts your mind at ease. You can listen to the recording at your leisure." He sighed again, turning to look at the assembly of soldiers around them. "For now, I suggest we all disperse. I think some of us are in need of repairs…"

* * *

Soon after they left the pavilion, Starscream and Alexis were sequestered within their private quarters in Ocean City, seated side by side on the bunk as they stared down at the data pad. Optimus had been right about it not providing many answers, but Starscream insisted on watching the video more than once as if he might uncover something new in its message.

As with the previous two run-throughs, Demolisher's image appeared on the screen, with the front gate of Ocean City as the backdrop. The hard-edged bot cleared his throat, looking quite nervous as he began with, "I may be stating the obvious, but here goes. If you're watching this, Starscream, it means that I wasn't as resolute as I hoped I was. And if that's the case, then I don't want you thinking that this is the end of it, that our friendship is over."

Demolisher paused, scratching at the side of his face before continuing with, "And Alexis, what I told you -- that I would never do anything to harm you or Starscream -- still stands… Primus willing, I won't remain at Megatron's side forever. All I ask is that you don't give up on me, and trust that I will come back in time…"

This time, when the video cut out, Starscream made no move to start it up again. Quietly, he set the pad down on the bunk beside him, turning to look at Alexis after a long moment.

Without hesitation, Alexis pulled him close, holding him against her in response to how lost and conflicted he looked and how tormented his thoughts were becoming. Gently, she began stroking the back of his head in a comforting manner. She remained silent for a long time, then looked over at Starxis when the youngling suddenly spoke. "Don't stop believing," Starxis chirped out. "Demolisher telling truth."

Starscream blinked, giving a deep sigh as his adopted child's words sank in. If there was one thing he would never doubt, it would be Starxis' ability to read minds and uncover the truth of things.

All he had to do, then, was wait for the moment that the hope would become a reality…

* * *

Sideways' plan to execute Optimus couldn't have been any more well-planned or thought out. Yet, all of his efforts, from spending twenty minutes willing the newly-forged sword to turn transparent to initiating a surprise attack on the Autobot commander, proved to be all for nothing thanks to the interference of a multiple-faceted, downright insane spindly bot.

If not for the fact that Alpha Q had used Sideways' ties to Unicron to wrench him away from the battlefield, it was likely that Optimus, despite the lucky shots he'd gotten in against his invisible opponent, would have been finished by now. Sideways had certainly had every advantage to ensure that outcome, had the opportunity not been stolen from him.

Sideways rubbed at his face in an attempt to clear away some of the agitation he was feeling, half listening to Alpha Q's tirade. "Our agreement was that you would target Megatron!" the spindly bot was shrieking. "How dare you go against that, Sideways! You missed a perfectly good opportunity, and you wasted our time with your duplicity!"

Sideways snorted, which, if anything, seemed to add to Alpha Q's rage. "Not the patient type, are you?" he asked in a cavalier tone. "Relax, I will be making Megatron a priority target… But I want to see Optimus dead first."

Much to Sideways' annoyance, this started Alpha Q off on another rant -- something to do with, if Sideways actually expected him to go along with this, then he had another thing coming.

With a soft groan, Sideways buried his head in his hand, looking towards the floor. Lightly shaking his head from side to side, the rogue bot could only think, _What in Unicron's name did I do to deserve this…?_


	14. Subterfuge

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: Sorry it's taken so long for an update. Rest assured I have no intention of giving up on this story, no matter how much time passes in between chapters._

_My rough outline for the story currently has it at thirty-eight chapters, including the prologue and epilogue. While the ending may be a ways off, I promise I will get there eventually._

_In the meantime, stay tuned to my profile page for random news updates and polls._

_Enjoy this latest installment. :)  
_

Chapter Thirteen

When Megatron, Demolisher, and Cyclonus had returned from this latest raid, Scorpinok wasn't the least bit surprised to learn it had been a total failure (though that had been due in part to an abbreviated transmission from Alpha Q providing some minor insight into the battle and telling of Sideways' treachery). What had caught him off guard, however, was that not one member of the Terrorcon army had made it back intact.

Though Scorpinok had anticipated that Megatron's anger would sooner or later be directed at him, he was still caught unawares when the Decepticon leader seized him by the throat and lifted him off the ground, simultaneously pinning him against one wall of the corridor in which they stood. "If you say one word to indicate that this army of yours can't be rebuilt, then I will personally finish you, Scorpinok!" Megatron barked out.

"It can," Scorpinok said in a semi-pleading tone, relieved when this caused Megatron to relax his grip ever so slightly. Even though he knew he was probably tempting fate, Scorpinok still followed it up with, "And there's no need to get rough to get me to cooperate."

Megatron scowled, but thankfully didn't tighten his hold once more. "Until you give me ample cause to trust you, I'll do as I please, soldier."

Scorpinok took on a compliant expression and remained silent for so long that Megatron eventually let him go and stepped back. After another couple seconds of silence, Scorpinok said calmly, "With the Energon we have available, I can forge perhaps five hundred more of the Terrorcons.

A dark look came to Megatron's optics at this estimation. "That's hardly enough to ensure a successful raid on one of Optimus' bases," he said in a low dangerous tone.

Scorpinok hesitated, the wheels turning in his head as he saw a way to perhaps manipulate the situation in his favor, and Alpha Q's. "Then we pick a different target," he said. "As I had once said to Alpha Q, Earth is not the only place where these deposits can be found. If I lead the Terrorcons to a suitable location in the neighboring galaxy…"

Megatron scoffed. "Do you take me for a fool, Scorpinok? What guarantee do I have that you won't turn tail and run?"

Scorpinok's expression turned serious. "In case you hadn't noticed, Alpha Q's plan -- and mine -- was also to repair Unicron. Do you think that goal is likely to change now that I'm in your employ?" A pause, then, "In case you hadn't noticed, you are the one now in control of Unicron's remains, Megatron… Why be wary of me when we both want the same thing?"

Megatron considered this carefully, silently admitting that it did make a certain amount of sense. Relaxing his stance, he said, "Very well, Scorpinok. Return to Unicron and rebuild our army… But be warned -- if I get even the slightest hint that you intend to doublecross me, then I guarantee your days will be numbered."

Scorpinok breathed a sigh of relief, lowering his head a notch in a subservient gesture. As Megatron gave a nod and turned to walk from the corridor, Scorpinok resisted the urge to let a shrewd smile rise to his lips. Deviously, he thought, _All you're doing, Megatron, is allowing Alpha Q and I to get all the more closer to achieving our own goal. And with any luck, we still have Sideways in our court… which means it will be your days that are numbered…_

* * *

After the battle, it didn't take long for rumors of Optimus having been assaulted by an unseen opponent to begin circulating. Such news started shortly after Scavenger and Hot Shot had reviewed the surveillance feeds of Megatron's latest attack. While it answered, in part, the questions of the anomalous portal centered over the ocean and the weapon that had gone missing, there still remained the question of who the mystery attacker had been and whom he (going by Kicker's pronouncement, it _was _an unknown mech that they were dealing with) was working for.

Fortunately, the assumption that Megatron had lost a sizable portion of his army and would need time to recover his losses held true throughout the remainder of the day. There was no further sign that the Decepticons were going to attack.

Thus, the Autobots in Ocean City were free to schedule a conference for that evening to discuss the problems at hand.

Though they'd been told, after a few hours of uneasy sleep, that attendance was mandatory, both Starscream and Alexis were very reluctant to be there. Shortly after entering the room, they'd settled in at the far corner, facing their comrades with blank faces and somewhat bleak moods.

Optimus stood next to the viewscreen set into one wall, which was displaying a live video feed of Kicker's father and Rad from Cybertron. Making sure he was in a spot where the two remote participants could see him, Optimus turned to look at all the soldiers gathered in the room with a deep sigh. When Starscream had told him of Megatron's plans for Unicron, the Autobot commander had requested that it be kept quiet for the time being, as he'd not wanted to create a panic pre-battle.

Even so, Optimus dreaded having to inform everyone of this little tidbit now; he could only imagine what their reactions would be.

Clearing his throat, Optimus began with, "Ever since Alpha Q and Scorpinok instigated these attacks, we've barely had time to speculate on the situation at hand and come up with viable answers in regards to what's occurring around us. And now that Megatron's back in the game, it's even more imperative that we try to figure out what we're dealing with." He paused, taking a deep breath. "On that note, it's come to my attention, courtesy of Starxis, that Megatron is plotting to use the stolen Energon to supposedly bring Unicron back to power."

As anticipated, this did cause an uproar, especially among Hot Shot, Jetfire, and Ironhide, mostly pertaining to the fact that Megatron had to be insane. Optimus let the three of them rant on for a full thirty seconds before ordering them to settle down and continuing with, "The key word here is revive, which seems to be implying that Unicron is currently in a very weakened state. If that's the case, then we still have the advantage, but it also means that we'll need to take greater measures to stop these raids." He turned to look at the screen beside him, adding, "Dr. Jones had been apprised of Megatron's return earlier today, and he's said that he will be helping us brainstorm for a better means of defending ourselves and our bases."

Optimus turned to look at Red Alert and said, "The laser turrets were a good idea when it was simply Alpha Q that we were dealing with, and what little we knew of him seemed to suggest that he's no expert when it comes to adaptability and precision, unlike Megatron. When it comes to the latter, we're going to need something much more definitive to counter him."

Optimus paused, then added, "In the meantime… This may be one of the few chances we'll get to piece together answers to some of the mysteries we've encountered." He hesitated for an instant, then said, "I imagine all of you are aware by now that, during the battle, I fell under siege by an as-of-yet unidentified Transformer. What you may not know is that Kicker was able to see this assailant, and perhaps was the only one among us who could."

Kicker shifted his weight, feeling slightly uncomfortable as this declaration caused everyone's attention to turn to him. Lacing his fingers together behind his head and disguising his unease with a scowl, he said in a cavalier tone, "Yeah, lucky me. If they carry even the slightest trace of Energon, I can sense them coming five miles away." A pause, then, "Whoever he was, he had an almost ghost-like appearance. It was strange, but he seemed to have this faint glow outlining him."

Hot Shot took half a step towards the teenager, wearing a concerned expression. "Can you describe him, Kicker?"

Kicker hesitated, seeming slightly thrown by the question, but he recovered in no time. "The only thing I could tell you is that he looked pretty short and slim for a Transformer… I'd place him at maybe thirty to thirty-five feet." He looked towards Optimus, as if anticipating some doubt about the assailant's height. "And he could fly." Kicker paused again, rubbing at his eyes as he concentrated on what he'd seen. "I don't think he had any insignias to indicate that he was a Decepticon."

Optimus sighed, deciding that it wouldn't do any good to pressure Kicker for details as the teenager seemed to be struggling just to get that information out there. "That's fine, Kicker," he said in an effort to put the boy at ease. "I don't know why he would have disappeared when he did, but I imagine he'll be back. Maybe when he does resurface, you'll have more details to offer us."

Optimus turned back to regard the Autobots around him. "In the meantime, Red Alert… You told me yesterday that you'd begun to work at putting together a profile on Alpha Q…"

The medic cleared his throat. "That's correct, sir," he said. "However, I'm not sure it provides much light on who or what this Alpha Q is. The best I can determine is that he must have a partner, or two, we don't know about. Why else would his army have been behaving so erratically for the first few battles?"

Red Alert paused momentarily, then went on with, "I've been able to pinpoint two distinct personalities -- one that seemed to want to shoot first and ask questions later, and one that seemed to have a plan and perhaps didn't want any casualties." The medic rubbed thoughtfully at his chin with one hand, then added, "Maybe that's why Scorpinok was called in when he was. He must have been needed as a mediator."

Scavenger considered this carefully before saying, "Have you been able to put together a profile on Scorpinok as well?"

Red Alert shook his head slightly. "Him, I can't figure out. I'm not sure if he's the violent sort or if he prefers peaceful solutions."

Ironhide snorted. "Are you kidding?!" he asked heatedly. "You saw the video feeds -- you have to know he attacked me!"

Red Alert adopted a stern gaze as he focused on the rookie. "In all fairness, Ironhide, it was you that fired the first shot, and you could very well have provoked Scorpinok by doing so… Past that, we don't know what he would have done if Alexis hadn't intervened." A pause, then, "And we also don't know what the effects would have been, if he had managed to hit you with that stinger of his."

"It's not lethal," Scavenger abruptly threw in, calling attention back to himself. After a brief silence, Scavenger went on with "Going by a couple other Transformers who adopted a scorpion guise as their alternate mode… The stinger, if embedded, can be detached and then acts as a sort of paralytic. The victim is unable to move until it's removed, and the toxin, such as it is, is drained from his or her system."

Taking on a quizzical expression, Hot Shot asked, "Am I correct in thinking that Scorpinok may have visited Earth at some point in recent history? I mean -- though he does have the look of a scorpion, it's all pieced together from various construction vehicles."

Scavenger tilted his head downwards a notch, crossing his arms. "Either he came to Earth before any of the rest of us set up shop here, or he picked up some radio waves from this planet that allowed him to view some images remotely… Either explanation is plausible." A pause, then, "Which means his current form had to have been built within the last fifty to sixty years." Scavenger gave a brief laugh, then added, "Seems he and perhaps Alpha Q still possess the technology on how to create triple-changing Transformers."

A short silence ensued following Scavenger's commentary, broken when Optimus kicked off a new topic of discussion. "I wonder, Red Alert, if I could trouble you with some personal upgrades. Given that Megatron and this mystery attacker are both capable of flight, I'd say that they both have an advantage on me at this juncture… I wouldn't mind evening the odds a little."

Red Alert nodded. "Of course, sir," he said. "I'll be sure to draw up some plans." Red Alert hesitated, appearing deep in thought, then continued with, "In the meantime, now might be a good time to discuss Megatron's exit from the battlefield. It bothers me that he was able to generate a portal all on his own."

Optimus bowed his head, a troubled look coming to his optics. Hesitantly, he said, "That may suggest that, wherever Megatron's base of operations are, he doesn't have a Warp Gate at his disposal…" Optimus looked absently towards Kicker, saying simply, "I have to wonder if the Energon that Kicker felt coursing through Megatron has inadvertently given him some unique abilities."

Red Alert brightened ever so slightly, as if the words had sparked an idea. "If that's the case, then Megatron won't be able to perform these unusual feats indefinitely. Sooner or later, he's going to burn through this power source of his."

For the first time since this meeting had begun, one of the two occupants on the main viewscreen spoke up. "Am I correct in thinking that Alpha Q and Scorpinok were stealing Energon to feed to Unicron?" Rad asked. When he was told that was right, he continued with, "Then how did Megatron even get ahold of it, let alone absorb it, if that wasn't their plan?"

After some thought, Red Alert came out with what he hoped was a viable answer. "Unicron and Megatron had to have made a deal with each other," he said hesitantly. "That's the only thing that makes sense at this point… Perhaps Unicron had some grievance with Alpha Q and wanted him out of the way." A pause, then, "Unicron certainly has the means to have altered Megatron's physical form."

Optimus considered this, then turned to look at the viewscreen, once more kicking off a new topic. "I wonder if you've come up with any ideas to help fortify our bases, Dr. Jones."

Up until now, Dr. Jones had been seated in front of the monitor on his end, his hands cupped together by his lips as if he'd been deep in thought. Given the way he snapped to attention at the sound of his own name, it was unclear if he'd been paying much heed to the conversation thus far.

Alexis, whose blue optics had been shifting back and forth to whomever was speaking, let her gaze shift over to Kicker at this point. She wasn't surprised to see that the hotheaded teenager was bristling now that his father seemed ready to join the debate, though her earlier questions about the seemingly one-sided animosity between the two was brought to mind.

A second later, Dr. Jones sat up straight, clearing his throat. "I think I just might," he answered. "If you're right, Red Alert, then Megatron won't have the ability to teleport wherever he wants for much longer… That being the case, I propose we establish towers within each of the colonies that can generate protective force fields." Dr. Jones paused momentarily, then added, "We could perhaps draw from our own Energon supplies to help power and maintain these grids."

Red Alert bowed his head, instantly spotting a flaw in this plan. Quietly, he said, "If our off-world colonies hadn't been cleaned out, that proposal might have worked, Dr. Jones. But it's unlikely that Megatron would ever give up trying to take what he can get, which means that he'd come after us if we ever let our guard down… The truth of the matter is, we run the risk of burning through our stockpiles entirely if the threat of these raids don't stop."

As Alexis watched him, an odd glint came to Kicker's eyes in the middle of Red Alert's speech. She shifted slightly in Starscream's arms, growing even more curious when he developed a nervous tick in his right eye. The last thing she would have expected at this point was for the boy to be exhibiting signs of guilt.

Determined not to let his behavior go unnoticed, Alexis said aloud, "You look like you have something to add, Kicker… Enlighten us."

Kicker bristled slightly at her words, but it was lost under the wave of nervousness that overtook him when he suddenly became the center of attention. After a long moment, he said, in a cavalier but still shaky tone, "No, nothing to add." He regained some of his composure, clearing his throat before saying, "Could you all stop looking at me please?!"

Surprisingly, it was Starxis who spoke next, first by hissing at the boy with his brown fur standing on end. In a chirpy tone that sounded astonishingly mean, the youngling said, "No more secrets!"

Optimus looked towards Starxis in surprise, then focused back on Kicker, his golden optics narrowing to mere slits as the implications hit him. "You've been hiding something from us…?" he asked in a low, angry tone.

Kicker looked ready to respond with some smart-aleck remark, but was stopped when an equally-angry voice sounded from the main monitor. It took Alexis a few seconds to realize that Dr. Jones was referring to his son by his real name instead of the more commonplace nickname. "Chad Michael Jones! The next words out of your mouth had better be an honest answer, or you're asking for it, young man!"

Kicker hesitated, then slumped his shoulders. "Fine," he said with a note of scorn in his voice. After another brief pause, he said, "The stockpile at our moon-based colony wasn't completely drained. There's still an ample amount left there…"

The look that Alexis threw at Optimus following this declaration showed her that the Autobot commander looked almost beside himself with fury, not to mention the state that Dr. Jones was in. "When exactly were you planning on telling us this?" Optimus said heatedly.

Kicker crossed his arms, appearing downright defiant. "I'm telling you now!" he snapped. "Fair enough?"

Much to the shock of Alexis and Starscream, Starxis suddenly spread his wings, soaring swiftly up to the balcony where Kicker was standing and unsheathing his claws so he could cling to the side of the partition. Still using that angry tone he'd utilized earlier, Starxis said, "Tell everything!"

Startled, Alexis climbed to her feet, anxiously calling out her adopted child's name before she fully registered that there was something else that Kicker was holding back. She took a deep breath, sending a mental warning to Starxis in case the youngling was even considering getting rough with the boy, then fixed Kicker with her sternest gaze. In a quiet, deadly serious tone, she said, "You'd better start talking."

If anything, Kicker looked far more intimidated by Starxis than by the looks that he was receiving from the eight Transformers and two humans before him. Perhaps the youngling had known that this was the best method to get the boy to open up.

In a halting voice, Kicker said, "There… There's another reserve here on Earth that I never… told you about. Somewhere in the northern part of Alaska… There's… even more there than I ever sensed at Ocean City."

This was the last admission that any of the gathered participants had expected, but it caused an uproar nonetheless, following a moment of silence. Amidst angered remarks asking why he would have withheld this information or saying what nerve he had in lying for so many years, Kicker wrapped his arms around himself, looking extremely uncomfortable.

By the time Dr. Jones was able to get a word in edgewise, he was looking more livid than Alexis had ever seen him. "You'd better consider yourself lucky that Megatron didn't learn of this before we did, or he likely would have bled us dry before we even knew of this cache! Is that what you wanted to see happen?!"

Kicker actually growled at these words, his anger returning. In a raised voice that sounded downright incensed, he said, "Since when have you ever cared what I wanted, Dad?!" After a brief pause, he added, "You've long since proven that you were more concerned about finding and refining your precious Energon than you ever did about me!" Without giving his father a chance to even formulate a response, Kicker spun on his heel and dashed from the room before anyone could stop him. Not even Starxis moved except to swoop back into Alexis' hands, supposedly content now that the truth had come out.

Though flustered, Dr. Jones recovered quickly upon seeing that his son was retreating. "Kicker!" he yelled out while the door was still open. "You come back here!"

Alexis bowed her head, staring blindly down at Starxis as she tried to process this. She had wondered about why Kicker would feel such hatred towards his own father, and the boy's last statement certainly contained the hints of an answer. With an air of numbness, she quietly turned to Starscream, taking a moment to hand Starxis to him before she turned her attention to the main viewscreen. "Take it easy, Dr. Jones. I'll go talk to him," she said lightly, vaguely aware that several of the Autobots around her, Optimus included, were now looking at Dr. Jones like they suddenly didn't know him.

Oblivious to the stares he was being given, Dr. Jones tensed at this statement and responded by saying, "I'm his father…"

Alexis kept her face and tone serene even though she cut him off before he could further argue the point. "No offense, Dr. Jones, but the last thing that Kicker needs right now is to be laid into by someone he doesn't trust." A pause, then, "Ironhide and I were assigned to be your son's guardians, and I'd like to think we've built a small rapport with him… With your permission, I'd like for the two of us to go after him and calm him down."

Ironhide raised his hands as if gesturing for her to slow down. "Wait a minute," he said. "Why am I getting dragged into this?"

Alexis looked across at him. "Because it's time that Kicker started trusting the two of us equally, especially since it's up to both of us to protect him. And because it might help to have more than one perspective if we're to get through to him."

Tracking down where Kicker had gone, once they'd gotten approval from the boy's father, was remarkably easy once Red Alert had pulled up the surveillance feeds spread throughout the city. Within seconds, Alexis and Ironhide had made their way outdoors in pursuit, switching to their respective vehicle modes once they were out in the open and heading in the direction of the bridge. A replacement for Demolisher had yet to be found, which meant that there'd been no guard on duty to stop Kicker from escaping.

It didn't take much for Alexis to get ahead of the motorcycle that Kicker was riding, and she shortly went in for a landing, transforming back into her bot mode and maneuvering to face the boy. When he showed no signs of slowing down, Alexis sighed and directed her statement to the Mini-Con that made up the motorcycle. "High Wire, if you don't stop, I swear I will shoot out your tires!" she said, loudly enough to make herself heard.

For a moment, High Wire failed to respond, then abruptly began to slow despite Kicker's demands that he keep going. The diminutive Transformer must have needed a couple seconds to realize that the battle armor Kicker was wearing would enable the boy to walk away from a potential spinout without a scratch.

Once High Wire had fully come to a stop, just inches away from Alexis, she took a step back and kneeled down, wearing a serious expression. Kicker didn't seem to notice or, perhaps, care; he was trying to rev the motorcycle's engine even though High Wire wasn't allowing that at this point.

"Stop it, Kicker!" Alexis admonished. "You don't get to run away this time."

Kicker scowled, though he did remove his hands from the handlebars and sat up straight. "If you think I'm going back so my Dad can lay into me, you can forget it."

Alexis looked up briefly when she saw Ironhide come up behind Kicker and switch to his bot mode, then focused back on the hotheaded teenager. "No," she said, simultaneously shaking her head. "Just Ironhide and I, we're the only ones you have to talk to." She paused, shifting her weight so she was actually sitting on the pavement, then said softly, "You must really dislike this ability of yours."

Kicker looked at her guardedly, as if not trusting her enough to offer a response. Alexis countered this with, "Don't treat me like I don't understand to some degree what you're going through. I used to be human just like you." Alexis took a moment to rub at her face, then continued with, "Ironhide and I are the best ones you're going to get as a sounding board right now… Why don't you start by telling us what happened? What did your father do to make you hate him so much?"

Kicker hesitated, biting his lip as a fleeting pained look came to his brown eyes. For a long while, he said nothing, then began with, in a downright bitter tone, "You were right, Alexis -- I hate being able to do what I can. I wish I'd known better than to let anyone know I acquired this stupid talent!" Kicker sighed, crossing his arms and looking as angry as ever. "As you heard in the conference room, dear old Dad used me to pinpoint just where each of these deposits was… Can you imagine being six years old and left to wander alone through a dark cave to ensure you wouldn't be 'distracted?' And that's not even the half of what he put me through!"

Alexis' lips parted slightly in shock, her heart going out to the boy in front of her. She'd known that Dr. Jones was something of a dreamer and was quite passionate about science and anything that could make Earth a better place, but she'd never imagined that he would have pursued the discovery of these Energon stockpiles at his son's expense. She wondered if Miranda, the boy's mother, had known, but then guessed that the latter had to have been more preoccupied with the newborn Sally at the time.

After a moment, Alexis adopted a purely sympathetic expression and said, "No wonder you hid the location of such a substantial amount… You must have realized at a very young age that lying was the only way to avoid that kind of pain."

Ironhide had been standing by in awkward silence until this point, unsure if there was even anything he could contribute to this conversation. However, he did spot a slight flaw in this explanation. Crossing his arms, he said gruffly, "Fine, you're angry at your Dad. I get it… But what's your excuse for not telling us about the moon base? Way I see it, you're not a little kid anymore, and that piece of information had nothing to do with getting back at him."

Alexis froze upon hearing that, then looked back at Kicker in all seriousness. "How many chances do we have to give you to make you stop treating us like the enemy?" she said sternly.

Kicker scowled. "I didn't even want the Transformers here, on this planet… I figured, the sooner they completed their mining operations, the better."

Alexis shook her head, fighting to keep from losing her temper. As gently as she could muster, she said, "It was wrong of your father to do what he did, Kicker, but you can't hold any of the Autobots accountable for that… Did any one of them even know this was going on?"

Alexis took Kicker's silence as an indication that she had hit it dead on "Okay, then this grudge you have against the Transformers has got to stop. In case you didn't notice, we are now embroiled in a war against the deadliest of enemies. Megatron is not the sort to care about Earth or any of its inhabitants, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants! At this point, any attempt on your part to hold out on us is a mark in Megatron's favor."

Alexis paused, then hit Kicker with the one thing that was sure to really rattle him. "Suppose the next time one of these raids happens, it results in the loss of human lives. Maybe even your friend, Misha. Is that what you want?"

Kicker paled, shivering slightly even as he shook his head. "No," he said, his voice breaking even for that one word.

Alexis sighed softly. "Then help us," she said in a light, even tone. "I promise, this won't be like before. You'll be the one in charge, and we won't force you into anything you're not ready for." She looked up at her partner, seeking some support to this claim for Kicker's benefit. "Right, Ironhide?"

Though flustered, Ironhide thankfully caught on from the meaningful glint in her optics. Throwing a glance at Kicker even as the boy turned to look at him. "That's right," he said, relaxing his stance. Ironhide remained silent for a moment, recalling Alexis'/Sky Dancer's statement about his lack of respect towards humans. Perhaps it was time he started taking more of an interest in the feelings and well-being of his teenaged partner. "Anyone who tries otherwise is going to have to go through me and Sky Dancer first."

Alexis blinked in surprise as her gaze went to Ironhide; she'd not expected such a declaration from him. After a few seconds, she sighed, letting a wave of appreciation wash over her, even as she noted that Kicker was staring at Ironhide with an equal amount of surprise.

After a long moment, Kicker let out a deep breath, appearing a lot more relaxed than Alexis had seen him in a good long while. She was even more startled to see a small smile playing at the boy's lips when he gazed back at her. Tentatively, she asked, "Agreed?"

Kicker sighed again, looking up at her with such hope that Alexis vowed she'd do anything not to let him down, no matter what lay ahead. Giving an almost indiscernible nod, Kicker said simply, "I guess that officially makes the three of us a team…"

* * *

Cyclonus couldn't have been any more puzzled by Demolisher's mood, once they'd retreated to safety. Once Megatron had left them to the own devices with the announcement that he was going to have a little "chat" with Scorpinok, the first thing that the hard-edged bot had done was go to staring silently out the glass viewscreen on the battleship's bridge.

At last, Cyclonus decided that the stillness was getting to him, and he elected to try to get his companion talking and hopefully liven things up. Standing across from Demolisher, Cyclonus said, in a cheery tone, "Why so glum? I would think that knowing that Megatron's still alive after all would be cause for celebration!"

Demolisher looked over at Cyclonus in slight surprise, as if he'd not expected to be addressed like this. His expression, however, soon melted back into regret, causing Cyclonus to say, "What's up, Demolisher? I would think that you of all bots would be happy right about now!"

Demolisher hesitated for a long while, though he appeared several times as if he were ready to say something only to have second thoughts. At last, he spoke out with, "You wouldn't understand, Cyclonus." After a brief pause, Demolisher turned away from the glass partition, moving to walk towards the door leading from the bridge. "Just leave me be. I need time to…" There was another pause, and Demolisher simultaneously froze in his tracks for a couple seconds. "I just need time," he said cryptically, and continued on his way.

Cyclonus stared after Demolisher in abject puzzlement, scratching at the side of his head. "Geez, first Starscream, now Demolisher… So much for this feeling just like old times," Cyclonus muttered. Briefly, the eccentric bot spared a glance towards Tidal Wave, who was currently putting the finishing touches on a stainless steel throne at a nearby raised platform, and was amazed to see that the colossal Decepticon had avoided welding his own hand to the fixture. "Next thing you know, the big guy might actually say something smart…"

* * *

By nature, Sideways had never been extraordinarily patient. So, it came as something of a surprise that he was able to give Alpha Q the silent treatment for as long as he did without breaking. He had initially tried several times to just leave, but the spindly bot had just pulled him back each time. Unless they reached some kind of arrangement, it was likely that this stalemate would go on indefinitely.

Leaning against one wall of the small chamber with his arms crossed, Sideways nevertheless was the one to break the silence. "Exactly how long are you planning to keep this up?" he said gruffly. "Maybe it's time you decided just how badly you want to see Megatron eliminated."

Brainiac's face spun to the forefront and said, in an incensed tone, "We had an agreement! You said you would do this in exchange for what we offered you!"

Sideways shifted his weight. "Well, I'm renegotiating the deal. And frankly, my condition would already be over and done with if you hadn't interfered." He rubbed at his face with one hand, then said, "So what's it going to be?"

It was Laser Happy who provided the answer, though he was speaking primarily to Brainiac. "It is a small price to pay, my brother." Laser Happy fixed his gaze on Sideways. "We will agree to your terms. But be warned -- Optimus Prime is the only provision we will allow."

Beneath his faceplate, Sideways grinned. "Done," he agreed. "Glad we're finally understanding each other…"

_Next up -- Sideways' second assassination attempt, and plans are put in motion for a new Earth-based colony._


	15. Family Ties

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: I know I said this chapter would be focusing on Sideways' second attempt on Optimus, but decided the story needed both some followup to the issues raised in the previous installment and some lead-in to what's coming. sorry this chapter's so short, but the next few will more than make up for it._

_Sorry in advance for the cliffhanger at the end. :)_

Chapter Fourteen

Shortly after Alexis and Ironhide had gone after Kicker, Optimus, feeling incredibly weary, adjourned the meeting. As his soldiers began to file from the room, Optimus absently instructed Hot Shot to head to the command center for surveillance duty. Prior to shutting down the broadcast from Cybertron, he simply told Dr. Jones, "I'd appreciate if you'd contact me once you've drawn up plans for the new security measures."

Following this, Optimus zeroed in on the scene taking place on the bridge, raising the audio so he could listen in. The revelations put forth by Kicker did nothing to put him at ease and made Optimus wish he could have it out with Dr. Jones over the treatment of his son.

After a long moment, Optimus lowered the volume and turned away with a sigh, expecting the room to be empty by now. So, he was more than surprised to see that Scavenger was still present, watching him with an unreadable expression. The latter was quick to get in the first word, intuitive as ever.

"Don't even think about blaming yourself for something you had no control over," Scavenger said simply.

Optimus let out a deep breath and rubbed at his face, moving over towards the counter so he could lean against it. After a short silence, he said, "I never imagined that Kicker's animosity had little to do with us." He looked up at Scavenger. "I've known for some time that humans aren't flawless, but this is the last thing that I would have expected."

Optimus paused, sighing again. "This situation couldn't be any messier… It's not like we have the right to reprimand Dr. Jones for his treatment of his own son…"

Scavenger tilted his head slightly to one side and calmly advised, "There's nothing to be done about it now, sir, in either case. What's done is done… All that's left is to focus on repairing the damage." Scavenger hesitated, crossing his arms. "We just have to remember that, regardless of what he can do, Kicker is still just a kid. We'd do well to be mindful of his needs and wants."

Optimus nodded absently after a brief moment. "You're absolutely right," he answered. "And it's perhaps even more imperative that we do everything possible to protect him from Megatron. If Kicker winds up in the Decepticons' hands, the damage will be far worse."

Scavenger remained quiet for a couple seconds, then softly said, "As concerned as I am for Kicker's welfare, I'm even more concerned about where this ability of his came from, especially given what's happening now… Unicron certainly had both the means and the motive to have bestowed this 'gift' upon the boy."

Optimus grew silent upon hearing this, the turmoil he was feeling at this possibility reflected in his optics. At last, he looked towards the monitor; upon verifying that Kicker was still with Alexis and Ironhide, he sent out a broadcast to the two trainees, requesting that the boy come to see him…

* * *

Shortly after Optimus' message had come in, Kicker had said, after some assurance from his guardians that he was free to make his own decisions, that he was fine with going to see what the big guy wanted. Nevertheless, Ironhide insisted on accompanying him, and the two soon left Alexis to her own devices.

After some thought, Alexis made her way over to the coast, where she settled in among the sand dunes facing Ocean City. It seemed unlikely that there'd be another attack, but she dared not wander too far just in case. After a moment, she completely dimmed her optics, losing herself to the sound of the waves, seagulls, and the gentle breeze blowing around her.

She didn't know how long she would have remained in this reverie, if left to her own devices. As it was, the unmistakable sound of a jet engine drawing near her location made Alexis light her optics to confirm that Starscream was indeed coming to join her.

Smiling at the jet and youngling she loved as they came to curl up next to her, and Starscream draped one arm across her shoulders, Alexis said, "It's nice to finally be allowed a quiet, peaceful moment, huh?"

Starscream gave a barely noticeable nod, gently pulling her against him and doing his best to banish all dark thoughts from his mind. He didn't want to focus on anything except being next to her. Alexis, however, had other ideas.

Softly, she said, her gaze focused on Starxis as the youngling came to perch on her upraised knee, "I wish we'd known before now that Kicker was hurting so much. The Autobots might not have given him so much extra grief for his actions that way."

Starscream sighed, resting his chin against her hair. After a short silence in contemplation, he answered, just as softly, "I guess sometimes, you just expect parents to do right by their children." He tilted his head so he was looking down at her. "Speaking of which… You never told me if you'd contacted your own parents, after…"

Alexis sighed, snuggling closer to him. "While I was on Cybertron, I had Rad put me in touch with them." She paused, a pained look coming to her optics. "I was hoping for, I don't know, that they'd at least be happy for me. As it is… Let's just say their reactions hurt. I got the impression that they didn't want to see me like this."

After a couple seconds, Starscream responded by brushing his lips against her brow, then reached towards Starxis with his free hand, smiling slightly as the youngling arched his head to press against Starscream's palm. In case there was any doubt, he said to Starxis, "You can be assured that Alexis and I would never knowingly do something to hurt you."

Alexis reached towards her adopted child as well, gently stroking the fur at his back and warming inside as he began purring. _Both of you are my family now_, she thought gently, causing her musings to inadvertently turn to her earlier conversation with Misha and Hot Shot. Feeling Starscream tense beneath her at the turn her thoughts had taken, Alexis shifted her weight, peering across at him and feeling almost as bewildered as he was.

Tilting her head to one side, Alexis softly said, "I guess after the whole thing with Tidal Wave turning on us and going head to head with Scorpinok, I kind of forgot about it." She paused, studying his face in hopes of finding something other than amazement there. When no other emotion presented itself, she asked, "I'm not saying the timing is very good right now, but we can't honestly expect this new war to last forever… Maybe we could one day think about a new addition to our family."

Starscream bowed his head, unsure just what to say in response, though his thoughts on the matter did give her some hint as to what he was feeling. He had never before considered welcoming an infant Transformer, or sparkling (as they were called), into his life. And Starxis didn't make for a very good example of how much time and devotion a sparkling would need; the little guy had been born with fully ingrained instincts and a self-sufficient nature.

Alexis broke the silence by lightly saying, "Scary subject, huh?"

Starscream offered a faint smile. "It is if you have no clue what you'd be in for."

Alexis hesitated, reflecting on what she knew of these sparklings. The Transformers were not a race that procreated by any conventional means, and the odds of Misha finding a way to make such a thing possible were likely slim to none. That being the case, the best that she and Starscream could hope for was a brand new Transformer, imbued with a spark from the Iacon chamber, to raise as their own. "Have you ever been around any sparklings? Do you at least know what they're like?"

"Just once," he answered. "And long enough to know they can be quite demanding, and helpless. It takes time for them to learn how to move and communicate… And that's not even considering the learning process when it comes to selecting a vehicle mode and transforming." Starscream paused, taking a moment to think this through, before adding, "I decided early on that I didn't have the patience or tolerance to devote my time to such things."

Alexis pursed her lips. "That was then," she said hesitantly. "What do you think now?"

Starscream looked down once more, feeling conflicted. He wasn't sure his views on the matter had changed at all, but he still had to be mindful of Alexis' feelings. It wouldn't be fair to deny her the opportunity just because he didn't know where he stood. And who knew, maybe his spark would melt once the prospect became real and he was actually holding this new little being in his arms.

At this point, Starxis surprised his adopted parents by moving over onto Starscream's chest, looking up at his father with twinkling green eyes. "Get sibling?" he asked, the hopeful note in his tone causing both his parents to laugh in delight.

Starscream went back to stroking the youngling's head, feeling his reservations begin to dissipate even more. "You can count on it," he said softly…

* * *

By the time Kicker and Ironhide arrived back in the conference room, Optimus was ready with an audio recording of his one and only encounter with Unicron. Optimus would have had the video to go with it, but he wanted Kicker to be focusing on the voices rather than the faces.

Optimus turned to face Kicker with a sigh, once he realized the boy was present. Noting that Ironhide was standing to the right of the boy's spot on the balcony, he softly said, "Let me start by extending my apologies. If I'd known what your father was putting you through, I would have stopped it." Optimus paused briefly, gazing at Kicker with sympathetic optics. "I have to ask if your mother was even aware of this."

Hesitantly, Kicker shook his head. "I don't believe so," he answered. "I never got a chance to talk to her, and I doubt that my Dad would have said anything."

Optimus lowered his head a notch, saying gently, "Then perhaps it's time she was made aware. It could pave the way to allowing you and your father to reconcile."

Kicker nodded absently, crossing his arms in a self-protective manner. It was unclear as to just what he was thinking or feeling about possibly patching things up. After a short silence, he asked, "Is that why you wanted to see me?"

Optimus blinked, forcing himself to focus on the real reason for this meeting. Clearing his throat, he said, "Actually, it's not… I know it's a sore subject, but I wanted to talk to you about the day you received this ability of yours." A slight pause, and then, "You said someone had spoken to you -- someone who implied that they were giving you this power." Optimus shifted so his hand was hovering over the control panel. "I'd like you to listen to a recording and tell me if the voice sounds familiar to you."

When Kicker nodded, Optimus went ahead and started up the recording, turning to gauge the boy's reaction to the conversation. Undoubtedly, the teenager recognized the voices of both the Autobot commander and Megatron, but surprisingly, there was no obvious recollection of Unicron's. After a few minutes of listening, Kicker shook his head. "Whoever I heard that day, his tone wasn't nearly that callous." Kicker looked towards Optimus, appearing curious as there'd been nothing in the abbreviated audio clip to clue the boy in on who the third speaker was. "Who am I listening to anyway?"

Though relieved to know that Kicker's abilities had not been Unicron's doing, Optimus still felt a tad apprehensive at not knowing just who had been behind it. "That would be Unicron," the Autobot commander said wearily, rubbing at his face.

Kicker's eyes brightened just a little. He'd heard the stories of the Transformers' battle against this all-powerful entity, but he'd never found out what the guy looked like. "Is there a video to go along with this? I wouldn't mind seeing if this Unicron is as scary as he's been made out to be."

Optimus sighed, though he did begin entering commands on the console to reattach the video feed. As he worked at this, he said, "I'd have to dig into the archives for that… As far as this encounter went, Unicron was using one of his followers as a conduit to talk to Megatron and I."

Kicker's eyes widened immensely once he saw the visual, though it took him several seconds to formulate the words. Leaning forward against the balcony railing, he blurted out, in a genuinely amazed tone, "That's him!"

Confused, Optimus and Scavenger both glanced briefly at the picture of Sideways, then focused back on Kicker. "That's who?" the Autobot commander asked, feeling deeply perplexed; he'd not been expecting this type of reaction.

Kicker looked back at Optimus with wide, excited eyes. "The one who attacked you this afternoon, that only I could see… That's him!"

Optimus was speechless for a long moment, his mind reeling; a glance thrown at Scavenger showed him that even the seasoned vet looked downright baffled by this claim. At last, Optimus focused back on the teenager and said quietly, "That's not possible, Kicker…" Before the boy could offer a protest, Optimus went on with, "The bot you're seeing here is dead. I killed him myself…"

Kicker hesitated only for an instant before responding, "And just how many years did you think the same of Megatron?!" He looked back at the image on the monitor. "I'm telling you, this is who I saw!"

Bewildered, Optimus turned back to meet Scavenger's gaze, and the two of them exchanged worried looks. The Autobot commander spoke first, in a slightly bleak tone. "Seems every single one of our old enemies is coming out of the woodwork."

Scavenger tilted his head to one side, thinking this through. "And I'd say this situation just got five times more complicated," he answered, already wondering if Sideways was acting under someone's orders or simply out to settle his own scores. After a brief silence, Scavenger said, sounding a little worried, "If Sideways' plan was to kill you, then it's doubtful that he would have disappeared of his own accord. Which means someone else has to be pulling the strings."

"Megatron?" Kicker asked, causing his three companions to look towards him.

Optimus shook his head. "I don't think so. In every single one of our past battles, Megatron has always been more keen on taking me on himself. He's not the type to send someone else in his stead… There was no sign on Megatron's part that he was removing Sideways from the battle, which might suggest he was unaware our old 'friend' was even present."

Ironhide crossed his arms, looking uncomfortable. "All other mysteries aside, I think it can be agreed that this Sideways is going to try again, right?" When this was met with agreements all around, he said, "Then we need to figure out what we're going to do. How do we fight against an invisible enemy who only one of us can see?"

"Ironhide has a point," Scavenger said, gazing at Optimus. "Kicker can't be on guard every hour of the day waiting for the next attempt. Sideways has too big of an advantage on us, and likely too big of a grudge against you, sir. He's not going to stop until he sees you dead."

Optimus remained silent for a long while, appearing very deep in thought, before saying, "Quite possibly, the best way to beat someone who's holding all the cards is to give him exactly what he wants." Without giving his three companions a chance to respond, he activated his comlink and sent out an equally obscure message. "Red Alert, I'm going to have to ask you for a huge favor…"

* * *

When she had received a message from Red Alert to report to the med-bay as quickly as possible, Alexis couldn't have been more curious as to what was up. Even as the medic was hurriedly working to outfit her with a hidden surveillance camera, her partners were bringing both her and Starscream up to speed on what Optimus' plan was.

Once Kicker and Ironhide had finished relating everything, Alexis went to staring towards the floor, feeling greatly overwhelmed as she pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers. "Is there any way to do this without cutting things so close?" she asked wearily.

Keeping focused on his work, Red Alert answered, "It'll be fine, Alexis. You'll have Kicker to guide you the whole time, so long as you keep Sideways in sight of the camera… And when the moment's right, it shouldn't be too hard for you to distract our invisible 'friend' for a minimum of ten seconds. Just do whatever you have to." Red Alert remained silent while he put the finishing touches on the device and tested it to be sure it was working, then told her she could close up the cockpit on her chest.

Starscream lay one hand comfortingly on Alexis' shoulder, providing mental support to encourage her that she could do what was being asked of her. Red Alert took a moment to clean up his workstation, then turned to her and asked, "So, you ready to help save Optimus' life?"

Alexis had barely answered in the affirmative when Kicker drew the attention of his giant friends by saying, even though he was looking skywards, "Guess we're about to find out… He's back. I can feel it."

Drawing in a deep breath, Alexis hopped off the slab on which she was sitting. "Okay," she said in an unwavering tone that made Starscream proud. "Let's give Sideways the ride of his life…"


	16. Pretenses

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_**Author's Notes (please read):** First off, it is mentioned at one point in this chapter that Sideways remembers seeing Alexis/Sky Dancer somewhere before. For those of you who may not recall, Sideways was present when Scorpinok was observing a still photo of her._

_Secondly, I don't know how many of you are familiar with the show, but I am taking some liberties with the character of Rodimus. As far as this story goes, he will have a different background (more on that later) and will not have Prowl and Landmine as his fighting companions. Kudos to you if you can guess who the two substitutes battling alongside Rodimus are._

_I don't know how long it may take to write the next installment of the story, but hope this satisfies for now. In the meantime, check out a new poll I have going on my profile page._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

Perhaps the hardest part of the plan was having to pretend (save for Kicker) that they had no clue that Sideways was lurking about. There was no better way to catch the rogue bot off guard than by lulling him into a false sense of security. Also, so far as their invisible assassin was concerned, he hadn't yet been identified, and Optimus wanted it kept that way for the time being.

The Autobot commander was currently stationed within the command center, studying each of the three screens before him that were cycling through different areas of Ocean City. Far as he could tell, nearly every single one of the soldiers under his command were doing their best to keep themselves distracted.

Optimus gave a soft sigh when he caught sight of Alexis and Starscream engaging in some quality time in the corridor outside their room. Had he been human, it was likely he would have been blushing at their shows of affection. But with the slight embarrassment also came a feeling of regret; it had been a long time since he'd seen two of his own people so much in love, and he wished that he could allow them more time to be together. Yet, with this new war in full swing, there was only so much that he, as a commander, could do.

Optimus gave another sigh, softly saying to himself, "I hope that, once Sideways is out of the picture and our new defenses are established, things will start getting back to normal." After a short silence spent deep in thought, Optimus remembered that he should check in with the one soldier who wasn't currently present in the city. Leaning over the console and pressing the com button, he said, "Scavenger, how are you coming on your end?"

The response was so long in coming that Optimus wondered if the broadcast had even been received. He was about to try again when Scavenger's voice suddenly sounded from the speaker. "I'm almost done. I just need about another fifteen to twenty minutes and then I'll be on my way back." A short pause, and then, "Can you patch me through to the med-bay? I may need Red Alert to walk me through the rest of the process on how to set this thing up."

"Will do," Optimus answered, typing in a few commands on the keyboard and wondering if the signal strength at Scavenger's location may be weak. Perhaps so, if the seasoned vet couldn't open up a direct channel to Red Alert on his own.

With that task done, Optimus let out a deep, calming breath, willing himself to look as relaxed and oblivious as possible for whenever a certain invisible assassin came for him…

* * *

Navigating his way around the interior of Ocean City wasn't quite as easy as Sideways had hoped it would be. Sure, he had ventured inside once before, but his purpose that time had been to simply penetrate the mines in the deepest recesses of the colony. Even then, he'd exited through one of the airlocks near that level.

The other thing that was slowing him down was the weapon he had snatched from the Autobots. While Sideways had figured out how to make the sword transparent, he couldn't will it to become intangible as well. So long as it was in his possession, he couldn't very well resort to walking through walls. In addition, he had to keep setting it down every so often, as he couldn't maintain his solid state for longer than ten minutes (he had gotten a little better at extending the time) and had to "recharge" accordingly.

Thus, he was forced to search through the city, level by level, for his prey, relying heavily on stealth. He might have sought help from Alpha Q as to where he should be looking, but his so-called employer had proven very uncooperative as it was.

This part of the job was so tedious (Sideways was forced to halt several times to avoid detection from some roving bot or other) that he greatly hoped the end result would be worth it.

Thus, Sideways was glad when he finally caught sight of Optimus through a pair of open, sliding double doors; it was fortunate that Jetfire was stepping from the room when he was or Sideways might not have been allowed a peek inside.

For a long moment, Sideways remained where he was, silently watching Jetfire pass him by and disappear down the way he'd come. He had to strongly resist the urge to chuckle at how easy it was to go undetected, even as he mused that there were some great benefits to go along with his current state. Perhaps he'd think twice about having Alpha Q fully restore him to what he'd been, once Megatron was taken care of.

Once Jetfire was out of sight and safely out of hearing range, Sideways cautiously moved towards the sliding double doors. He stopped briefly at the adjoining corridor, looking left and right to ensure that no one else was nearby, then stepped towards the doors opposite the hallway he'd come from. As they slid open with a soft hiss, indicative of a pressure plate set in the floor before them, Sideways gleefully mused, _This is almost too easy._

Sideways had barely moved towards the Autobot commander, so eagerly fixed on his goal, when the sounds of laser fire and the revving of a car engine reached him from off to his left. Startled, Sideways turned his head in that direction, simultaneously taking a step back. It was fortunate that he moved when he did, or else he might have been hit by a stray laser beam.

Even as he registered out of the corner of his optic that Optimus had turned away from the monitors at the sound of that same laser fire, Sideways' gaze locked on an off-road jeep with a cannon mount closing on his location. For a few seconds, he was sidestepping the path of the beams and wracking his CPU over what he had done to grab someone's attention when he noticed that there was a human (decked out in full body armor) crouched on top of the jeep's cab. Given the gestures that this human was making in Sideways' direction, the rogue bot was soon speculating that, as impossible as the prospect seemed, there was someone in this city that could see through his disguise!

Sideways threw a quick glance in Optimus' direction, feeling a wave of fury descend on him. Quickly, he raised the gun attached to his right arm, firing wildly at the Autobot commander, but was disappointed when Optimus dodged out of the way. It certainly didn't help that the laser beam was made visible as soon as it left him. _So much for the element of surprise!_ he thought furiously, going on to muse that he'd better clear out. Much as he desired to finish what he came here to do, he dared not risk getting nailed and potentially killed by the encroaching Autobot/jeep for his trouble.

Sideways hurriedly secured the sword and transformed into his motorcycle mode, intent on making a hasty retreat. However, he began driving straight towards the jeep and its human passenger, which, going by the boy's expression when Sideways caught a glimpse of his face through the helmet's glass visor, undoubtedly caught both by surprise.

Feeling mischievous, Sideways leaned back heavily on his rear tire, prompting the front one to lift off the ground. Initiating a burst of nitro, tilted at that angle, allowed him to go airborne just long enough to let him jump on the jeep's hood and wheel his way across the length of the vehicle at a great speed, coming dangerously close to the human boy in the process.

And, though he suspected that the human wouldn't be harmed in the fall, Sideways still took a sick pleasure at seeing the boy thrown clear of his position on the cab by the wind shear…

* * *

Though Megatron was initially pleased by the work that Tidal Wave had done, it was soon cast aside when it was discovered just where the colossal Decepticon had gotten the materials to construct the throne. Once Megatron learned, courtesy of a throwaway, curious comment from Cyclonus, that one of the battleship's more essential cannons had been partially dismantled, it kicked off a round of angered shouting.

It was fortunate that Tidal Wave's size spared him a beating from the Decepticon commander, but the colossal bot nonetheless was looking downtrodden from the verbal thrashing he was receiving. With his head bowed, the big guy stated, during a break in Megatron's rant, "Tidal Wave is sorry."

Had Demolisher not entered the bridge, more than likely having been drawn by the commotion, and asked what was going on, it was uncertain how long it might have taken for Megatron to find something to distract himself. Focusing on the hard-edged bot, Megatron let out a deep breath, willing himself to calm down and mentally reminding himself that he could always get Scorpinok to fix the cannon, by any means necessary.

With a small, wry smile, Megatron said, "It's about time you joined us, Demolisher. You've been awfully quiet over the past several hours."

Demolisher cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable now that he was the center of attention. "Forgive me, Megatron," he said in a quiet, compliant tone. "I needed time to…"

The fact that Megatron rose to his feet and began to descend from the platform where the throne was centered made Demolisher break off mid-sentence. As he began to advance on the hard-edged bot, Megatron said, "You know, Demolisher… I'm almost inclined to think that you'd rather not be back here with us, where you belong." A pause, then, "I'm aware that you spent far more time in Optimus' camp than Cyclonus and Tidal Wave ever have… Perhaps, if you share some secrets with me, I may begin to trust you more."

Demolisher had known that this demand would have been thrown at him sooner or later, but he would have much preferred for it to have come later. Now that he and Megatron were standing face to face, he was back to feeling awfully intimidated and wishing he'd never ventured in here.

Some of Demolisher's reluctance must have shown in his optics, and, if anything, it increased Megatron's fury exponentially. With an enraged cry, Megatron abruptly reached out and closed one hand around Demolisher's head, startling all three of his soldiers when he actually lifted the hard-edged bot several feet off the ground. Given the way Demolisher was shaking, it was clear that it was taking some effort on Megatron's part to maintain this one-handed grip.

"Megatron…" Cyclonus squawked out, taking a step forward. He was stopped when the Decepticon commander threw an infuriated look his way.

"Do not even think about interfering, Cyclonus!" Megatron barked out. Looking back at Demolisher, he said, "It must have taken the Autobots several years to build that city of theirs out in the ocean… I'm curious as to how they even knew where to place this colony. Or better yet, how is it that the Energon was even discovered on Earth?"

Cyclonus tried once more to get a word in edgewise, if only to take the heat off Demolisher, but another look from Megatron effectively silenced him.

Much as he hated the idea, Demolisher knew the only way to get Megatron to cool down and/or back off was by telling him what he wanted to hear. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Demolisher said, "There… There's a boy, a human on the Autobots' side… Somehow, he's able to sense it… He told us where to construct each of our mines."

Megatron's surprise at this revelation was so great that he relaxed his hold, allowing Demolisher to drop unceremoniously to the floor. It took Megatron a few seconds to regain his composure, and, when he did, he gazed down at the soldier before him. "How interesting," he said thoughtfully, mind adrift with all the possibilities linked with this information. Had not a more pressing question been weighing on him, he might have pushed Demolisher for more information on this particular subject.

Megatron shifted his weight, crossing his arms as he watched Demolisher maneuver into a seated position. "Perhaps you'd also enlighten me on something which Cyclonus doesn't seem to know," the Decepticon leader said in a light, much more casual tone. "This girl -- the one that Starscream is apparently enamored with… Who is she, and where did she come from?"

Demolisher tilted his head to look up at Megatron, hesitating for a bit as this question had caught him off guard. After a moment of indecision, he decided there would be no harm in answering truthfully; what danger could there be in telling Megatron of Alexis' origins?

Clearing his throat, Demolisher answered, "She is… She _was_… one of the humans on the Autobots' side, during the first conflict." Demolisher paused, deciding in an instant that it might be unwise to tell about Starxis and the wish that the youngling had granted for Starscream. "I… I don't know how she managed it, but she discovered a way to become one of us."

Megatron, though he didn't let it show, was even more floored by this pronouncement, his thoughts inadvertently turning to the human female he'd had previous dealings with. While it explained Optimus' protective attitude towards her, Megatron's curiosity was aroused by Starscream's apparent feelings. _Had there been something between them, even ten years ago?_ he wondered. _Is that what inspired her to want to join our ranks?_

Though he wasn't sure just why, Megatron suddenly found himself even more intrigued by this girl. Focusing back on Demolisher, he gave a slight chuckle and said, "I imagine you know some of the access codes or frequencies that the Autobots operate on. Perhaps you could tap into their surveillance feed for me. I'd like to see what Optimus and his troops are up to right now."

Demolisher's expression once more melted into that reluctant look, inspiring Megatron to flex his hand in a semi-threatening manner. "Don't make me ask twice, soldier," Megatron said in a low and dangerous tone, though still with an alluring note. "You'll not like how I retaliate to a second show of defiance…"

* * *

After his cover had been blown, Sideways had retreated to the skies overlooking Ocean City. Surveying the exterior of the colony (he'd left the sword at ground level, in a safe place to ensure it went undetected), he wracked his processor for a secondary course of action. Near as he could tell, there seemed to be no sign that the human boy was looking for him, but then, Sideways couldn't see every nook and cranny of the city from this angle.

He was never sure if he remained lost in thought for several minutes or several hours, but Sideways' ruminations towards a workable Plan B were cast aside when he noticed that Optimus was currently wandering around the exterior of the city. For a moment, this caused Sideways to grin deviously and praise his good fortune. His chances of seeking out and eliminating Optimus inside the colony hadn't been looking as good as before, especially when that human boy could have been lurking around any corner.

Sideways was about to swoop in when he saw signs of movement in the areas that Optimus had just passed through. For a moment, the rogue bot couldn't make sense of why Hot Shot was tailing the Autobot commander at a distance and hiding behind panels whenever he could, but Sideways eventually chalked it up as Optimus' men being on edge following the attempt on their leader. Near as Sideways could determine, there had likely been a difference of opinion between Optimus and the soldiers under his command on how to deal with the situation.

This belief was substantiated when Optimus caught Hot Shot shadowing him. Though Sideways wasn't near enough to hear what was being said, he could tell by their body language that the Autobot commander wasn't taking kindly to being watched like this and was likely ordering Hot Shot to return to some duty or other.

Sideways watched Hot Shot for a moment after Optimus had walked away and was hardly surprised to see the impetuous bot activate his comlink to broadcast a message to someone. A quick glance over the visible parts of the city didn't reveal anyone else, but Sideways got the impression that there had to be other Autobots around who were secretly keeping tabs on their commander.

After a moment, Sideways cautiously moved in even closer, making a beeline right for Optimus. It didn't matter if he had his sword or not; he could always rely on his own firepower to finish the job. Yet, it caught the rogue bot off guard when Optimus suddenly stopped in his tracks and tilted his head slightly to look skyward.

This caused Sideways to halt as well, wildly wondering if he'd somehow been detected before mentally telling himself not to be so foolish. Surely, Optimus couldn't see him.

At this point, Sideways was near enough to hear what Optimus said when the latter began yelling; the words surely suggested that the commander suspected his invisible attacker was in hearing range. "If there's someone out there, then show yourself!" Optimus was shouting. "I have little time or patience for games!"

_As you wish_, Sideways thought with a hint of glee, taking aim with both his guns. However, the sound of another voice yelling out -- calling for Optimus to get down -- caused Sideways to recoil. Though he did fire, his weapons had been pulled off center just enough to ensure he would miss.

Feeling furious once more, Sideways turned his gaze to an overhang some distance behind the Autobot commander and was highly displeased to see that the meddlesome human had appeared out of nowhere to once more save Optimus' life.

In the next instant, Sideways recovered enough to maliciously think, _You may be able to see me, kid, but I very much doubt you can provide much aid against an all-out barrage_. Refocusing on Optimus, Sideways let loose with as much firepower as he could muster, designed in such a way as to keep the commander from running for cover as much as to ensure that one of the laser beams would hit its mark.

Sideways' ploy seemed to be working until a stray laser beam came close to hitting him. Though he didn't cease his attack, he was startled enough to shift his gaze in the direction that the shot had come from. Much to his surprise, several of Optimus' men (consisting of Hot Shot, Jetfire, Starscream, the jeep/mech that Sideways had encountered earlier, and a vaguely familiar femme that he couldn't remember where he'd seen before) had come to stand on a separate overhang off to the west and were all firing wildly in his general direction.

Sideways only suffered a few seconds of incomprehension before returning his gaze to the human boy. Sure enough, he saw that the teenager was speaking into some sort of communication device and directing the counter-attack. A brief glance back at Optimus showed Sideways that the commander had found some means of shelter while he wasn't looking, and this served to infuriate the rogue bot once more.

Sideways cursed out loud, fuming for a second or two before focusing on the one thing he knew to be true. _I'm never going to get anywhere if that human keeps getting in my way!_

Without a second thought, Sideways repositioned his right gun and fired off a single round. He was never entirely sure afterwards, but it seemed as if the sight of that one laser beam caused nearly all the beings around him to freeze in their tracks.

It was nothing short of sheer luck that the boy started moving as swiftly as he did; even so, he missed getting hit by mere inches. The laser beam tore into the concrete of the overhang just behind him, creating enough of a tremor that it knocked the human off his feet.

Optimus was up and running towards the overhang before Sideways was even aware he was moving. "Kicker!" the Autobot commander yelled out; Sideways chuckled softly at the realization that this must be the boy's name. Aware that the Autobots off to the west had ceased their attack, Sideways shifted his weight in mid-air, content to just watch for a moment and see how this drama played out. "Kicker!" Optimus repeated as he came to a halt just below the balcony. "Are you alright?!"

Kicker sat up after a few seconds, looking quite shaken as he peered over the edge of the overhang to meet Optimus' worried gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine," the boy answered, trying but failing to keep the tremor of fear out of his voice. Kicker gulped nervously, lifting his eyes to look directly at Sideways. "He's still out there," the boy announced. "We still have a chance of taking him down!"

Optimus bowed his head slightly; whatever he said in response was spoken so softly that Sideways couldn't hear it. Still, the rogue bot got a sense of what was going through the commander's processor when Optimus suddenly turned and studied the skies with a surprising amount of fury in his golden optics.

"Kicker is not a part of this!" Optimus shouted out. "It's me you're after! Now come and get me, you coward!" Before Sideways could react, Optimus abruptly started running, putting such distance between himself and the boy (though also moving down an alcove off to his left) that there was no doubt in the rogue bot's mind as to what was going on. Clearly, the Autobot commander was seeking to draw as much heat away from this Kicker as he possibly could.

Sideways only hesitated for a moment before moving to pursue Optimus and resumed firing at the commander when the latter emerged from the opposite end of the alcove. The next thing that caught the rogue bot off guard, however, was when Optimus came abreast of the Warp Gate, raising the gun he held in one hand and firing wildly in the direction that Sideways' shots were coming from while hurriedly keying in some commands and/or coordinates on the control panel.

When Optimus subsequently went to stand on the platform, Sideways swiftly fired off one last shot that was sure to be fatal, but the Autobot commander had warped away to some unknown locale before it connected.

For what seemed like forever, Sideways could only stare silently at the spot where Optimus had been, trying to reason this out. At last, he moved towards the control panel and typed in a few basic commands to find out the details of that last transport. Overall, Sideways was no computer genius, but he had learned more than a few tricks from Unicron; such skills came in handy when he saw the information had been encoded. More than likely, Optimus had not wanted any one of his allies, namely Kicker, to be able to follow him, but Sideways was able to bypass the encryption to find out a location.

After returning to where he'd left his sword and retrieving it, Sideways used the Autobots' own Warp Gate to travel to the same locale, finding it fortunate that none of the other Autobots seemed to have realized yet that Optimus had vacated the city…

* * *

Finding an alternate planet to collect Energon from was quite easy. Once he'd re-engineered as many Terrorcons as he could, Scorpinok had set out for a solar system near where Unicron's remains were. Once there, he took his time exploring one planet after another, trying to determine which one would be easiest to pillage from; the Terrorcons were very useful for sensing just how much Energon was at each one and how deep underground the deposits were.

At the fourth planet, Scorpinok found that he'd really lucked out. There seemed to have been a mining system already established. A quick look around didn't reveal any sign that the planet was populated, and, while Scorpinok was wondering why this establishment was seemingly unattended, he cast his misgivings aside long enough to lead the Terrorcons inside.

While waiting for the predatory bots to collect a sufficient amount of the mineral, Scorpinok decided that now might be a good time to initiate a transmission to Alpha Q. With a light sigh, he lowered his visor over his optics, activating the communication screen.

Amidst cheerful statements over the fact that they were able to talk once more, Alpha Q was soon asking what news Scorpinok had for him. The latter cleared his throat and responded, "Megatron does not know just how many Terrorcons have been brought online… I can afford to send perhaps five or six of them to your location for you to make use of."

Alpha Q seemed quite pleased by this news, and responded with, "It will not be much longer before Megatron is eliminated, but the closer we get to our own ends until then, the better. I thank you, Scorpinok. I hope that we will soon be able to talk face to face once more."

Scorpinok bowed his head slightly. "As do I, my liege." After a slight pause, he terminated the communication, certain that all had been said that needed to be.

The jaguars and falcons that had accompanied Scorpinok here had by now finished with their tasks and were milling around, looking at him either lazily or in expectation. Wordlessly, he began walking from the mines, the Terrorcons rising to their feet and following without question.

The last thing that Scorpinok expected, just after he'd stepped through the entrance, was to suddenly have the barrel of a laser pistol pressed against the right side of his head. After a second of bewilderment, he silently criticized himself for automatically assuming this world was uninhabited. Whoever had built these mines was still here and clearly not happy at being swindled.

Scorpinok turned his head slightly, so he could see his assailant out of the corner of his optic. He was surprised to see that it was another Transformer, nearly the same height as Scorpinok himself. This unknown bot was red and yellow, with what looked like an elaborate flame design painted onto his chest plate.

"Mind giving my friends and I a good reason not to kill you now?" the unknown Transformer said in a deep, gruff tone, making a slight gesture off to his right that had Scorpinok's gaze traveling in that direction. Much to Scorpinok's surprise, there were two more bots present -- one a light fuchsia pink, the other cornflower blue and white -- and both femmes from the look of it; they too were armed and looked just as incensed and hostile as their companion.

"Please," Scorpinok said, vaguely aware that a few of the jaguar Terrorcons behind him were whining due to the fact that they couldn't easily exit the mines with him standing in the way. "I meant no harm."

Scorpinok's attacker clenched his metal teeth together. "Then I suggest you return what doesn't belong to you."

Scorpinok gulped nervously. If he returned to Megatron empty-handed, then odds were good that the Decepticon leader just might kill him. And if he had to waste time seeking out another planet and collecting from there… Well, he wasn't sure just how much leeway Megatron might give him; the less of a delay there was, the better.

Hoping that the risk he was taking would count for something, Scorpinok said desperately, "Then you might as well shoot me now… I'd rather die at your hands then his. At least your way would be merciful."

Scorpinok's assailant was definitely taken aback by this, given the way that he withdrew the gun by a few inches. Before the latter could react, the cornflower femme jumped in, a surprising amount of fire in her voice. "Don't listen to him, Rodimus! It's a trick!"

The one called Rodimus looked her way with a reprimanding gaze that seemed sufficient in getting her to back down. Shifting his attention back to Scorpinok, he said simply, "You have five minutes. Whatever you have to say in your defense, make it good."

Scorpinok let out a deep breath, heartened by the chance that he was being given. In the next instant, he began to speak, praying that his story would earn their sympathy and convince them to let him go…

* * *

Wherever Sideways had expected to end up on the other end of the Warp Gate, he couldn't say that the surface of Earth's moon ranked very high on the list. Nevertheless, it didn't take him very long to shake off his surprise and begin to look around. He didn't see any immediate sign that Optimus was in the area, leading him to think that the Autobot commander had bolted from this spot to make it harder for anyone to find him.

After a moment, Sideways went airborne, deciding the search would go faster if he resorted to gliding. From that height, it didn't take him long to spot Optimus in the middle of a crater off to the northeast.

As he soared closer, Sideways' imagination began to go into overdrive. It would undoubtedly take the rest of the Autobots some time to catch up with their commander, which meant that Sideways could likely resort to playing a little cat and mouse game. Why make this quick when it would be so much more enjoyable to build the suspense?

Just before reaching Optimus, Sideways once more set his sword down. This game would be far easier and more enjoyable so long as he didn't have it in hand. At least then, he wouldn't have to worry as much about maintaining his solidity.

Getting a small thrill from the fact that Optimus was looking remarkably tense, Sideways swooped in behind the Autobot commander. When he was just a few feet away, he stopped, remaining silent for a long moment before giving a soft chuckle that sounded explosively loud in the still air.

Optimus spun around in an instant, raising his gun and firing off a shot in the same instant that Sideways switched back to his intangible state. It took the rogue bot everything he had not to laugh at this sight, especially when Optimus began looking around wildly with wide optics.

Sideways' little game went on as such for the next several minutes; it was definitely entertaining to watch the Autobot commander get more and more nervous with each second. However, even though Optimus had to be feeling a great deal of fear, it was pushed aside by anger, once it registered with the commander what was happening.

"How long are you planning to keep this mindless game up?" Optimus yelled out. "Why not show yourself, coward? Or are you afraid to let me know who you are?"

Sideways hesitated for a moment before deciding that he might as well bite. What did he have to lose by revealing himself? Though he did turn visible, he still maintained his ghost-like state. Giving a chuckle to draw Optimus' attention, he said dryly, "Call me someone looking for a little payback."

Optimus' optics grew even wider. "Sideways," he murmured in a near inaudible tone. After a slight pause, Optimus seemed to recover enough from his shock to add, "How are you alive?"

Sideways chuckled again. "Let's just say that Unicron has a knack for bringing the dead back to life… The only difference is that I wasn't quite as fortunate as Megatron." To prove the point, he raised one of his guns, inspiring Optimus to fire at him first. When the shot passed right through Sideways, the rogue bot said, "Nice try… But fighting against someone who can become insubstantial at will is not going to work."

A slight pause, then, "Are you ready to suffer the same fate at my hands that I did at yours?" Without waiting for an answer, Sideways cocked his head to one side, as an inconsistency with that statement hit him. "Though I doubt you have a higher power at your back that would consider resurrecting you…"

Optimus hesitated, then asked, "You had every opportunity to finish me, during the raid on Ocean City. What stopped you, Sideways?"

The rogue bot laughed once more, but saw no problem in answering. "My employer's goal was for me to target and assassinate Megatron during said raid. When I went after you instead… Let's just say there was a conflict of interest."

For a moment, Optimus seemed to be trying to figure things out before tentatively asking, in a hard tone, "I'm guessing that would be Alpha Q."

A wry look came to Sideways' optics. He wasn't sure just what reasoning had led Optimus to this conclusion, but it proved that the Autobot commander was not and never had been dim-witted. "I'm impressed. You actually got it on the first try." Sideways paused, his attention diverted momentarily when he suddenly caught a flicker of movement on the horizon, though still a good distance away.

Looking back at Optimus, Sideways said, even as he faded from sight. "Well, it seems your soldiers are about to crash the party… Let's finish this, shall we?"

If Optimus responded, Sideways didn't catch it as he was already soaring away, for the purpose of retrieving his sword. Now that his little cat and mouse game was over, he would very much like to finish this in the most gratifying way possible. Nothing would be more satisfying than to see the look on Optimus' face when the blade penetrated his spark.

However, as Sideways found out, Optimus wasn't going to go down easily. As the rogue bot moved back in, he saw that the commander was firing wildly at the air all around him. For a few seconds, Sideways attempted to get in close while evading the shots but soon found that this was futile. And, while the rogue bot could return fire, there was no guarantee that it would hit the mark.

Before Sideways could even blink, he suddenly came under fire from a separate source. Looking around, he saw that one of Optimus' troops had impossibly already arrived on the scene. Soaring out of the path of the shots, the rogue bot cast a glance towards the approaching group in the distance; given that they were still a ways off, it was likely that they had had one of their own use the Warp Gate to get to this location ahead of them.

Vaguely aware that Optimus had ceased firing (perhaps out of surprise over seeing the newcomer), Sideways looked towards the azure/pale yellow femme when a voice suddenly sounded through her com-link. Even as Sideways recognized the voice as belonging to that human boy from earlier, the femme was being told where to concentrate her fire.

_Not again!_ Sideways thought with a groan, finding himself dodging laser beams for the third time that day. About two seconds later, he began to look around, wildly thinking, _How is the boy seeing me?! He's not even here!_

Sideways got his answer almost an instant later, as he spotted a white sphere of sorts with a camera lens hovering nearby, trained on the area that he and Optimus were currently occupying. _Enough of this slag! _he thought furiously. With a soft growl, he advanced towards the camera, swiping at it with the sword with such force that the sphere was nearly sliced in half.

Sideways quickly put one hand to the orb to slide it free of the blade, then focused his attention on the femme. As he anticipated, she soon ceased her attack, though she was also staring at the ruined camera, now floating freely through the air, with a great deal of surprise.

Sideways didn't know or care what she was so shocked about, but he now saw a perfect opportunity to get Optimus to drop his guard long enough for Sideways to move in for the kill. Quickly, the rogue bot closed the distance between himself and the femme, then fired off a near point-blank shot at her lower stomach.

At that close range, the shot tore apart her chassis and even damaged some of the circuits and wiring just beneath it. The cry of pain that left her lips and the way she recoiled, pressing one shaking hand to the wound, was, to Sideways, quite satisfying.

In the next instant, hearing Optimus call out the femme's name (Sky Dancer) in alarm made Sideways refocus on the Autobot commander and remember what he was here for. Noticing that Optimus was moving towards his injured warrior, Sideways swooped in to intercept him. Before the commander could even recover from his momentary panic, Sideways was ruthlessly driving the sword through the desired mark.

Sideways kept his gaze fixed on Optimus' face for the next several seconds, keeping the blade wedged where it was, as the world around them seemed to melt away. If the one called Sky Dancer said anything, Sideways didn't hear it. Nothing could have torn his attention from the shocked look in Optimus' golden optics, even as the light in them began to gradually die away.

When Optimus' optics had completely gone dark, Sideways withdrew the sword and backed up by several feet, feeling an enormous wave of satisfaction when the Autobot commander crumbled to the ground. Given that he could see no light radiating from the gaping wound in Optimus' chest, it was clear that his spark had been extinguished.

Sideways gave a very soft chuckle, wryly thinking, _Farewell, Optimus Prime…_

The rogue bot was unaware that Sky Dancer was moving until she suddenly appeared in his field of vision. With one hand pressed firmly to her injury, she dropped to her knees by Optimus' side, shouting his name in alarm and with a definite tremor in her voice. When she saw that the Autobot commander was indeed dead, a loud sob escaped her lips.

After a long moment, Sky Dancer looked upwards, her optics displaying an equal amount of sorrow and anger. Given the way her gaze darted back and forth, she was no doubt searching for Sideways, looking for all the world like she wanted to shoot to kill.

Sideways gave another soft chuckle, making sure she couldn't hear him, then turned his gaze to the Autobots approaching in the distance. Much as he would have loved to stay to see everyone's reactions, he dared not take the chance that they might have additional cameras with them that would allow the human to pinpoint where he was.

With that in mind, Sideways soared skywards, thinking that he could contact Alpha Q to open a portal for him once he was a good distance away from the moon…

* * *

Once they had the devastated form of their leader in their sights, it took Jetfire, Hot Shot, and Ironhide everything they had not to break down and/or remember that, if everything had gone according to plan, that none of this was real. Still, it was a little hard to be convinced of that given the way that Alexis was grieving; perhaps she wasn't sure that this was all an illusion.

Even as Hot Shot moved towards Alexis and put his hands around her shoulders in a comforting manner, Jetfire and Ironhide proceeded to put on what they hoped was a good show, in case Sideways was still lurking around.

Despite the fact that there were no tears staining her face, Alexis still made a gesture as if she were wiping some away. When she looked up at Hot Shot, she repositioned just enough to allow him to see that she'd been wounded. For a moment, he stared at the injury with something like shock, then abruptly activated his com-link and said, "Red Alert, you may want to get the med-bay ready." Since he wasn't sure if Sideways was still in the area or not, he continued with, "Sky Dancer's been hurt."

At those words, Alexis made a move to get up. Even as she stated that she was fine, a shower of sparks suddenly jetted from her wound, and a wince crossed over her face.

Hot Shot offered her a gentle smile and said, "Why not let our resident medic be the judge of that?" After a slight pause, his smile faded and he began to look around with an air of nervousness. Focusing back on Alexis, he added, in a near whisper, "We need to know if Sideways is still here or not. Are you up to doing a little recon?"

Alexis hesitated, then gave a slight nod, going airborne and beginning to turn in a circle to allow the camera she'd been outfitted with to provide Kicker with a good view of the region back on Earth. For good measure, in case they were still watched, she shouted out, "You're going to pay for this, you coward! Come on and show yourself!"

After she'd made two revolutions, Kicker's voice came through her comlink to say, "It's safe, Alexis. I don't see him out there anywhere… No view on the nearby satellites either. I'd say he's gone."

Alexis breathed a sigh of relief. After a split second, she began to drift downwards towards the moon's surface, taking care not to inflame the area where she'd been shot. Looking at her three companions in turn, she said simply, "We're clear."

Jetfire stood up straight; Alexis found it amazing that he was able to switch from "grieving" over Optimus' prone form to appearing calm and collected so quickly. "Okay," he said, activating his comlink to tell Scavenger to get ready to transport them back. He kneeled once more, retrieving a signal beacon from one of his compartments to attach to the lifeless form at his feet, then looked off to the left. "You can come out now, sir," Jetfire said in his loudest tone to guarantee he'd be heard.

Until she saw the tarp that had been made to blend in perfectly with the moon's surface tossed aside, Alexis would never have been able to pinpoint just where the real Autobot commander had been hiding. It was a good thing that Sideways hadn't been closely studying the lay of the land to notice the deviation.

Optimus rose to his feet, gathering the tarp in his arms before looking at the prone form on the ground with an air of discomfort. Alexis supposed it could be disturbing to see that a duplicate of yourself had been killed so violently.

Still, Alexis was pleased that they had succeeded in pulling this off; it was sheer luck that Sideways had been occupied (destroying the camera and attacking her) long enough for the switch to be made. The clone had been generated by the very holo-matter projector that Scavenger had planted here/buried beneath the surface earlier. Red Alert, who'd been assigned to operate the device remotely, had been watching carefully for the right moment to activate it.

It took mere seconds for the group to be transported back to Ocean City, the holo-matter clone as well. Starscream was waiting for them on the other side of the gate, and he shortly swept Alexis into his arms despite her protests, actually carrying her down to the med-bay. "Don't argue," he said en route; given his tone, she got the impression he'd been going nuts when Sideways had shot her. "I'd rather you didn't do anything to injure yourself further."

When Alexis had been laid on one of the slabs in the infirmary, she was slightly surprised to see that Optimus had followed her and Starscream here. Red Alert was shortly injecting her with something designed to ease the pain, then turned to start gathering whatever supplies he'd need to make her better.

Alexis had to smile when Starxis came to settle on her chest, gently nuzzling her face with his furry little head. Softly, she began stroking the youngling's fur with her right hand, murmuring, "I love you too, Starxis."

Alexis looked up at Optimus, positioned to the right side of the slab, when he cleared his throat, in time to see that he was nervously rubbing at his face. "I'm sorry you had to suffer through this, Alexis," the commander said in a soothing tone. "When Sideways did what he did… I can't tell you how close I came to revealing myself and unraveling the deception."

Alexis blinked. "I'm glad you didn't," she answered after a moment. "And we knew going in that there would be some unpredictability involved… The near miss that Kicker went through certainly proves that."

Optimus nodded. "It scared me to death, figuratively speaking, when I thought Sideways had killed him," he said absently.

Alexis pursed her lips, feeling a sense of relief that they'd come through all the close calls more or less unscathed. "At least it still provided you with an excuse to vacate Ocean City… The way this plan was executed, Sideways likely had no idea that he was being duped or playing right into our hands."

Alexis turned her gaze to Red Alert when he returned to her bedside to begin operating on her, causing Optimus to step back to give the medic some space. After a few seconds, she continued with, "By the way, Red Alert, it was clever of you to have another camera trained on Optimus and Sideways. Perfect way to throw him off the scent that I was outfitted with one."

Red Alert had some medical tools poised over her wound, but froze when her words seemed to register. For a moment, he didn't move, then turned to look at her with a great deal of surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked hesitantly. "I didn't send any other camera your way."

This time, it was Optimus' turn to look perplexed. He turned to gaze at the medic. "But… There was another one present. I saw Sideways take it out just before I hid underneath the tarp."

After a moment spent in thought, Red Alert went to a nearby terminal, simultaneously radioing to Scavenger in the surveillance room and providing his fellow soldier with step by step instructions on how to see if someone may have hacked into their feed.

The answer that came back completely rattled all those present in the med-bay, once Scavenger confirmed who the security codes had been assigned to. Starscream bowed his head, deeply hurt by the notion. "Demolisher," he whispered, his thoughts in turmoil at the realization that his friend had betrayed them.

Optimus, on the other hand, was disturbed by a different aspect. To no one in particular, he quietly asked, feeling a sense of dread, "Just how much did Megatron see?"

* * *

For a long while after the picture had cut out and the screen had gone to static, Megatron could only stare blankly at the monitor. Currently, he was alone on the bridge, having ordered Demolisher and Cyclonus to leave when their banter had started weighing on his nerves; Primus only knew where Tidal Wave had disappeared to.

At last, the Decepticon leader crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly to the side, a wry smile coming to his lips. "If you think taking me out will be easy, Sideways, then you're in for the shock of your life," he murmured. Megatron hesitated, reflecting on everything he'd witnessed while watching the feeds.

And suddenly, taking a certain human (who could see Sideways no matter the circumstances) away from the Autobots just got a lot more appealing…

* * *

Other than Megatron, there was a third party who'd been watching the entire show, even the aftermath. Once it was all over, all four of Alpha Q's personas were abuzz with what they had seen and learned, talking freely as Sideways had yet to return.

The personality dubbed as Spazz was in particular having a fit. "What are we to do?! If we tell Sideways that he has failed once more, then there will be no way we'll convince him to make Megatron his next target!"

Laser Happy was in support of this statement, causing Brainiac to say, "This situation is not without opportunity, my brothers. It would be of greater benefit to us if we were to hide from our assassin that Optimus still lives. Afterwards, it will not matter if or when Sideways discovers the truth. How angry could he be at having his personal vendetta postponed?"

Nonchalant spoke next. "You are quite right. And let us not forget that we will likely have Scorpinok back to provide protection in the event that Sideways attempts to retaliate against us."

"So we are all agreed?" Brainiac asked. When all three of his companions answered affirmatively, he concluded the discussion with, "Then so be it…"


	17. Advancement

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long for an update, but as you'll find out, this was not an easy chapter to write. The good news is that I do foresee the next installment getting done a lot quicker. :)_

_The poll I've had going on my profile page has been closed, for those of you who would like to view the results. A new poll will be up sometime next week. And now, on with the show:_

Chapter Sixteen

As far as Starscream was concerned, the next hour seemed to pass in a blur. Though he'd been reluctant to leave Alexis' side, he had been ordered out of the med-bay by Red Alert and Optimus both; the latter wanted Starscream present for a short meeting in the conference room.

Acting under the assumption that Megatron may have seen everything, it was agreed that extra measures be taken to protect their teenaged ally. And, since none of the Autobots had any clue on the status of Megatron's forces or the probability of success on the Decepticons' part should they stage an attack on the city this very evening, a mutual agreement was reached that Kicker should bunk down in Ironhide's room for the night. For extra security, Jetfire and Scavenger would be close by in case of an emergency.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Optimus asked Starscream to stay so that they could talk privately, though it took a moment for the Autobot leader to actually speak. Either Optimus was nervous about having this conversation or he had been struggling to find the right words.

Tilting his head downwards, Optimus said quietly, "What I did to Sideways was nothing more than a serious lapse in judgment, regardless of how much I viewed him as a threat at the time... Past indiscretions aside, I would never condemn anyone to die. Not even if it were Megatron. And yet…"

Starscream tentatively jumped in when his companion trailed off. "You think it would solve many problems, if Megatron were taken out."

Optimus nodded solemnly, remaining silent for a long moment, then abruptly said, "I'm sorry about Demolisher… I can't imagine how much it must have hurt, when you learned what he had done." After a short pause, Optimus continued with, "If there were anything I could do to make this easier…"

Starscream sighed, crossing his arms and feeling uncomfortable. It was one thing to share his deepest thoughts and emotions with Alexis or Demolisher, but he didn't feel quite as at ease doing so with Optimus. In a guarded tone, he answered, "Thank you for your concern, sir, but you don't need to worry about me… I haven't forgotten how 'persuasive' Megatron can be."

Optimus let out a breath. With an unreadable expression, he quietly said, "I'm glad to know that you don't view Demolisher as a lost cause." After a short pause, he added, "I hope that he proves to be as strong as you once were. It's the only way he's going to break free of Megatron's hold over him."

Starscream bowed his head, remaining silent for so long that Optimus felt free to go on with, "Too many times, I've seen friendships torn apart in the name of war. I hope for your sake that that's not what we're looking at here."

Starscream looked back up, feeling inclined to speak as he began to see what Optimus was searching for. "One of the more common traits amongst Decepticons is the tendency to be a lone wolf. Everyone's more or less out for themselves, and the chances of forming emotional ties are slim to none." He sighed, looking at Optimus. "I was lucky to find someone who totally disarmed everything I once thought was important… I'd like to think that Demolisher's done the same. He said in his recording that he would never do anything that would directly hurt either Alexis or I, and, unless proven otherwise, I'm inclined to believe him."

Starscream paused, then went on with, "Sooner or later, Demolisher is going to have to make a choice between Megatron and me. And I'd like to think that the friendship we've built will mean something when that comes about."

Optimus nodded, a reassured glint in his optics. For a moment, he said nothing, then abruptly changed the topic again with, "Alexis is quite remarkable, to have accomplished half of the things that she has… I can't imagine how hard it must have been for her, to give up what she has for you and Starxis."

Starscream gave a very faint smile. "It was no contest… The lifespan of humans is so short compared to how long many of us have been in existence." He paused, looking up to meet Optimus' gaze. "I don't think I could ever have borne losing her."

"As could I," Optimus answered, making Starscream regard him with wide optics. Optimus gave a short laugh at his soldier's reaction, saying in a light, reassuring tone, "I mean nothing threatening by that, Starscream. My own feelings for Alexis… Well, to be honest, I'm quite fond of her. I'd say that she may be the closest I'll get to family, at this point in my life."

Starscream was poised to respond when Optimus' comlink suddenly buzzed to life. The message that came from Jetfire effectively put an end to the conversation. "Good news, sir… Hot Shot and I have just heard back from Dr. Jones. In the hours since we've spoken last, he's put together some rough schematics on how to establish some security grids for us. He says he's going to spend the night collaborating with Red Alert, but odds are looking good that he may just have solved our problem."

Optimus breathed a sigh of relief, responding with, "It's about time we had some good news, Jetfire. Thanks for the update."

"There's one more thing, sir," Jetfire answered, an odd note in his voice. "Dr. Jones got to thinking, and it occurred to him that, seeing as our moon base wasn't wiped clean, there may be some Energon left at Mars and in the Asteroid Belt. He thinks it might be worth us having a look… And that would mean we'd have to take Kicker into outer space."

Optimus hesitated, sharing a troubled look with Starscream. "I'm not sure that would be a good idea, Jetfire. Aside from not wanting to push Kicker into anything, we have to take into account that Megatron could be watching our every move. It would be too dangerous to hand him a golden opportunity."

"I've considered that," Jetfire said. "But the odds would be in our favor. It would only take fifteen minutes, tops, to venture to both locations. All Kicker would need to do is see if he senses anything. And you could have as many as the Autobots as you think is necessary along for the ride to ensure that he stays safe."

Optimus gave a deep sigh, weighing all the options and reluctantly admitting that this scenario might work. If he did put together a sizable task force, they just might complete this mission before Megatron could even get organized enough to mount a successful attack and/or kidnapping. "Very well," he conceded. "I'll talk to Kicker about this in the morning…"

* * *

Once Red Alert had finished patching her up, Alexis had expected that she'd be able to leave the med-bay. So it came as something of a surprise when Red Alert stated he wanted her to stay overnight for observation, to be sure that all her systems were functioning properly.

Alexis' next surprise, as she was settling in for the night, was that her two partners came to check up on her; Kicker was riding on board Grindor (upgraded from a skateboard to a motorized hoverboard) at a suitable height so he could see her.

Seating himself in a chair next to her bunk, Ironhide said in a conversational tone. "How are you holding up?"

"Doing just fine," Alexis answered, her gaze shifting from Ironhide to Kicker and back again. "What are you two doing here?"

Ironhide gave a sardonic grin. "You didn't honestly think we'd turn in without checking in on how our partner was faring, did you?"

Kicker shifted his weight, saying, almost awkwardly, "Planned or not, it was great of you to take a bullet for the big guy… You totally rock, Alexis!"

Wearing an uncertain smile, Alexis quietly thanked him, one of her hands moving unconsciously to rest over her healed stomach. Undeterred, Kicker went on with, "I mean it! And frankly…" The teenager paused momentarily, an eager look in his eyes that kind of threw her; Alexis was not used to see him looking so vibrant. "It felt good, taking such an active role and sticking it to this Sideways character… I'm starting to know how you felt back in the old days. It must have been quite a rush, knowing that you held power over these giant alien robots under the right circumstances."

Alexis pursed her lips, fixing Kicker with a concerned gaze. "It was never about gratifying myself with an adrenaline rush," she said in all seriousness. "I did it because I came to call the Autobots my friends, and I wanted to help them in any way I could." She paused, then went on with, "Promise me that you won't get carried away. You can do far more good by helping those in need than by seeking some form of excitement. I know that this rush may feel good, but it's nothing compared to the feeling you get from knowing you did the right thing or accomplished something momentous."

Kicker nodded, though he looked pretty skeptical as he did so. Alexis opted to let it go; odds were he'd learn in time that she knew what she was talking about. Giving a slight sigh, she said, "Thanks for guiding me and Ironhide today, Kicker. We could never have pulled it off without your help."

Kicker gave an ironic laugh after a few seconds spent in thought. "Not to be all cliché, but are we going to do the Three Musketeers thing?"

"Three Musketeers?" Ironhide asked, wearing such a quizzical expression that it made his partners laugh. Once Alexis laid out a basic explanation for him, he shrugged slightly and stuck out one hand, tentatively saying, "Promise to always look out for one another?"

Alexis offered a small grin, extending her hand to rest on top of his. After a second, Kicker had Grindor move in closer so he could do likewise. "Cliché it is," the teenager said slyly, earning a laugh from his larger partners. "All for one and one for all…"

* * *

When he had the battleship in his sights, Scorpinok would never have imagined that he'd be so glad to see it, or to be back in Megatron's reach. Given that one of the airlocks slid open as he and the Terrorcons at his heels were circling the ship, he gathered that the Decepticon commander had been on the lookout for him. Even as he swooped in, Scorpinok briefly wondered what had happened to the port side cannon.

Shortly after he'd entered the ship, Scorpinok heard Megatron's voice over the coms, summoning him to the bridge. Moving at a leisurely pace, Scorpinok's thoughts drifted back to his encounter with Rodimus. For what little he'd told to his assailant and the two unnamed femmes, he was surprised that they'd let him go so quickly.

All thoughts of Rodimus fled from Scorpinok's mind at the moment he entered the bridge, two of the jaguar Terrorcons trailing behind him; the rest were more or less huddled against the exterior of the ship. Once the collected Energon had been deposited back at Unicron's remains, Scorpinok had taken the time to forge some more Terrorcons to add to the main force.

Megatron, however, didn't entirely seem pleased when Scorpinok told him that the ranks of their army had been doubled, or perhaps he just wasn't reading the Decepticon leader's blank expression right.

After a second, Megatron blinked and looked towards one of the jaguar bots behind Scorpinok. In the next instant, he rose to his feet, stepping down from the platform where his throne was centered. Scorpinok watched him curiously as Megatron stepped over to the nearest jaguar and casually laid one hand on its head as if he were about to pet it.

Megatron looked up at Scorpinok a moment later. "Tell me," he said cryptically. "Is it very difficult to forge this army of yours from within Unicron?"

Taken aback, Scorpinok answered in a somewhat halting manner. Later on, he would curse himself for being so quick to answer; the last thing he should have done was take away some of his own usefulness. "It's… not hard at all, Megatron… All you would need to do is patch in to Unicron's processor. With the… the right amount of Energon and an image of what you wanted to create, you could forge just about anything."

A faint smile appeared at Megatron's lips, undoubtedly arousing Scorpinok's curiosity to new heights. _Interesting_, the commander thought. _Perhaps, if our plan to capture the boy fails, I just might be able to follow Optimus' example… Still, it wouldn't hurt to have as much insurance as I could get._

Megatron began to look at each of his men in turn, speaking rapidly even as he did so. Not a one of them had been informed of Sideways' current status; the last thing that Megatron wanted was for one of his troops to slip up and mention this to Scorpinok. Gesturing towards the latter, he stated, "Demolisher, you stay here and watch over the battleship, as well as our guest. Scorpinok, I wish to take the Terrorcons out on a special mission, if you'd be so kind to arrange for them to follow my orders. You can retake command of them upon our return."

Scorpinok gave a consenting nod after a long tense moment, inspiring Megatron to turn to his remaining two soldiers. "Cyclonus, Tidal Wave, you're with me. Now move out…"

* * *

Contrary to what Scorpinok believed, Rodimus hadn't let him get away completely unscathed. It hadn't been very hard for the latter to plant a tracking device on one of the Terrorcons as the group was fleeing. The predatory bot wasn't even aware that the tracer had been fired at it and was latched magnetically onto its belly.

When Rodimus and his companions viewed Megatron from a distance, as the Decepticon commander and his army were vacating the battleship, that was the moment that they fully realized that Scorpinok had been telling the truth.

Seated on the bridge of his own (cloaked) vessel, Rodimus crossed his arms, his expression letting his companions know that he was deep in thought.

The cornflower femme was as brash as ever when she said, "It would be easy for us to take them down while they're still unaware of us."

Rodimus looked over at her. "You really need to learn to control that temper of yours, Chromia." He paused, leaning forward and rubbing at his face. "You don't know what this Megatron is capable of. I do… Scorpinok was telling the truth about how much trouble he's in."

"But…" Chromia started to protest, only to be cut off.

Rodimus fixed her with a stern gaze. "I'll not put you or your sister at risk by attacking him, especially if we happen to miss. Am I making myself clear?!" He turned to look at the viewscreen, a distant look coming to his optics as he murmured, "The Decepticons nearly killed you and Elita once. I won't give them a second chance to do so."

Elita swung her own chair around so she was facing Rodimus. She was the perfect contrast to her sister with her serene nature, though she still possessed a fire all her own. "So what are we to do?"

Rodimus sighed, leaning back and crossing his arms once more. "We wait for an opportunity to speak to Scorpinok alone. And hopefully, learn more about his agenda before we determine whether or not he can be trusted…"

* * *

Some time after Ironhide and Kicker had left, Red Alert had dimmed the lights in the med-bay and retreated to his office, making Alexis promise she would signal him with the call button he'd given her in case she needed anything. She didn't know how long she lay awake in the darkness, simply listening to the soft hum of her own biorhythms, before she discovered that she was not the only one having trouble sleeping.

With a wide smile pulling at her lips, Alexis shifted slightly on the bunk, remaining silent for a bit before sending out a telepathic message. _You know, for someone who said I should learn to control my emotions, you sure have a lot of trouble following your own advice._

Starscream gave a short laugh, then answered, _Well, in my defense, I've never been in love before. And this **is **the first time you've taken a serious injury._

Alexis lightly bit her lower lip. _Okay, I'll give you that._ She paused, a warm feeling washing over her at the thought of him being so concerned. _But you have to understand that things are going to happen, whether you like it or not… Just try not to overreact each time, okay?_

She heard him sigh through their telepathic link. _I'll try._ A pause, and then, _I don't think I've said yet how proud I am of you. Over the past couple weeks, you have proven to be quite brave and resourceful, Alexis. Congratulations on accomplishing so many great things in so short a time. I don't know how long it may have taken Kicker and Ironhide to come around otherwise, for starters._

She smiled warmly in the darkness, shifting once more on the bunk. _Thank you for believing in me,_ she responded. _I don't what I'd do or who I'd be without you by my side, Starscream._

_Mutual, _he answered, in a loving tone that made her melt._ Let's never find out._ There was another short silence, broken when he said, _You know, Optimus raised an interesting point during our meeting… If Starxis hadn't been a factor, would you have been content in having me become human? Provided we could have found some alternate means other than the wish, that is?_

Without hesitation, Alexis answered, _As long as it meant we could be together, I would have chosen just about anything. I love you, Starscream. Always and forever…_

* * *

Perhaps the best part of Sideways' partnership with Alpha Q was that it would undoubtedly only be a short time gig. Anything longer than a week, and he just might be liable to kill his spindly companion.

As he silently entered the battleship where Alpha Q had said Megatron would be (through an airlock that had conspicuously been left open), Sideways mused that he was glad to be away from the pest. Even being cooped up with the persona known as Spazz, who apparently was too dumb to know how to open up a portal, for a full twelve hours while the other heads were "recharging" was quite annoying. Until that instant, Sideways hadn't thought that the Alpha Q even slept, in a manner of speaking.

It came as an unpleasant surprise to know that Megatron wasn't currently present at the battleship, as Sideways learned by silently observing a chitchat between Scorpinok and Demolisher. Apparently, the Decepticon leader, likely accompanied by Cyclonus, Tidal Wave, and the Terrorcons, was off staging another raid on one of the Autobots' bases.

Quietly, Sideways settled onto the floor and set his sword down, though he did keep one hand on the hilt so that it wouldn't turn visible.

Leaning his head against one fist, Sideways gave a soft, bored sigh as he watched Scorpinok heckling Demolisher about Megatron's lack of faith in him. "It must kill you that your leader doesn't think you any more worthy than being assigned guard duty. Tell me, was it worth betraying the Autobots when Megatron doesn't hold you in any higher regard than they did?"

Demolisher growled, indicating that Scorpinok had struck a nerve. "Don't presume that you know anything about me!" he barked out. After a slight pause, he said, "I'm no fool. I know that earning back Megatron's trust is not going to come easy, but I will do whatever it takes!"

Sideways resisted the urge to laugh, seeing right through Scorpinok's petty attempt to create conflict amongst the Decepticon soldiers. Even Demolisher's desire to go back to being a straight-up obedient minion was cause for amusement, and Sideways began to watch the exchange with a small amount of interest.

A moment later, Sideways was disappointed, as Scorpinok gave a small chuckle and answered, in an amused tone, "Relax, I was just having some fun with you… Now, why don't we try to get along, Demolisher? That would be the mature thing to do."

Demolisher bristled, his optics narrowing at the fact that Scorpinok was calling him immature. Though he much preferred to argue the point, he decided in an instant that he would not give his "companion" the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him. "Just leave me alone," Demolisher said in a heated tone, deliberately turning his back.

Scorpinok chuckled again, but the look in his optics indicated that he was abandoning the conversation. Seeing this, Sideways gave an inaudible sigh, settling back against the wall behind him and resigning himself to waiting until Megatron returned.

* * *

When she awoke from an uneasy sleep the next morning, the last thing that Alexis had expected was for all of Ocean City to be abuzz with activity. That may have even been what roused her -- the raised voices she could hear outside the doors to the med-bay, as well as the distant sound of many construction machines and tools at work.

She must have inadvertently pressed the call button in her hand, for Red Alert was at her bedside an instant later, asking if she was okay.

Relinquishing the call button to him, she said, even as she propped herself up slightly, "I'm fine." Making a gesture in the direction of the ceiling, she asked, "What's going on?"

Red Alert gave a very soft sigh. "Our good friend, Dr. Jones, is nothing if not inventive… After we finished with our schematics, very early this morning, he announced he would be coming to Earth with a sizable task force to oversee the construction." Red Alert paused, giving a slight smile. "They've been hard at work, at all the cities, for the past three hours or so. I'm surprised they didn't wake you before now."

Alexis blinked, hesitating a moment before asking after Kicker. While she wasn't surprised that the teenager had been making every attempt to minimize contact with his father (it would apparently take time for the wounds to heal), it did startle her when she learned of the mission that Optimus hoped to accomplish and that Kicker had already agreed to join the Autobots on this venture into outer space.

Red Alert studied her for a moment to gauge her reaction, offering a quick reassurance that it would be fine and that they'd be taking every precaution to ensure the boy's safety. "Optimus wanted you along for the ride as well, if you're feeling up to it, Alexis. You should be fully healed by now, going by the diagnostic I performed an hour ago."

Alexis hesitated for a second, then made a move to sit up straight. After assuring herself that there was no lingering pain and that her systems seemed to be functioning normally, she informed the medic that she felt perfectly fine. As she moved towards the door, she asked, "Do you know if Starscream's been asked to come too?"

"He has," Red Alert answered. He was prepared to say something further, but broke off when she suddenly turned to look at him, an alarmed expression on her face. It took him a moment to guess what she might be concerned about. "You're worried about Starxis -- what might happen to him if Megatron and company show up."

Alexis nodded. "All things considered, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable having him along on this mission, however short it is… Got any tips on how to maybe get the little guy to get over this separation anxiety?"

Red Alert bowed his head slightly, a worried look coming to his optics. He knew how much Starscream and Alexis cared for the youngling, but couldn't see any easy way to accomplish what she was asking. Tentatively, he said, "Short of putting Starxis on an IV drip for a sedative, I don't know what to tell you."

Alexis shook her head. "I'd considered that once -- under different circumstances, mind you -- but decided I didn't want to take the risk that he'd have a bad reaction to it." She paused, rubbing at her face. "I'll… I'll just see if I can work out a solution on my own."

The medic offered her a reassuring, though shaky, smile. "Well, whatever that happens to be, I wish you all the luck… Optimus wants to head out within the next hour once the team is fully assembled."

Alexis shortly thereafter excused herself, making her way from the med-bay up to her and Starscream's quarters. It wasn't long before she was in the company of those she loved, and it took mere seconds before Starxis picked up her thoughts on the matter.

The youngling was soon hovering before her with anxious green eyes, and Alexis soon raised one hand for him to settle into. Gently petting his head with her free hand, she said softly, "I don't want you to see you get hurt, Starxis. Maybe nothing will happen today, but I don't want to take that chance. And sooner or later, it is going to get too dangerous to have you with us during a battle."

Alexis paused, sighing softly as Starscream's hands came to rest on her shoulders. The thoughts she was getting from her fellow jet told her he felt the same. Looking down at her adopted child, she said, "We need you to be brave now. Your father and I aren't going to be gone for very long… Can you do that for us?"

Starxis still looked quite anxious, but Alexis took it as a good sign that he hadn't embedded his claws into her chassis. For a long tense moment, the youngling remained silent, then chimed in with, "Promise to be back?"

Alexis gave a gentle, reassuring smile. "You have our word. Thank you, Starxis." She paused, quickly learning from Starscream's thoughts that Kicker's mother and sister had returned to Ocean City as well, perhaps to visit with the family member they'd left behind. "Are you okay staying with Sally and Miranda until we get back?"

"Yes, Mommy," Starxis chirped out, making Alexis and Starscream feel a rush of love and pride for him…

* * *

One of Megatron's reasons for wanting the Terrorcons with him on this voyage was that he hoped that they too might be able to sense if Sideways was near, in case the assassin came for him while he was out in the open. In either case, Megatron was surprised, as he and his troops were hidden in the shadows of Earth's moon trying to formulate a plan on how they might get the boy, when one of the jaguar bots reported that there was some residual Energon left in the mines.

Given that the Terrorcons seemed anxious to begin collecting what they could, Megatron dispatched half of them to complete this task. Following this, Megatron cast a glance towards the ruined command center, then turned towards Cyclonus. "Do you think the communications panel in this base might still be operational?"

Cyclonus shrugged, reaching up with one hand to scratch at his head. "It might be," he said hesitantly. "Why do you ask?"

Megatron sneered at how simple-minded his soldier was. "It may provide us an opportunity to listen in on the Autobots' broadcasts. What better way to stay a step ahead of them, Cyclonus?"

Cyclonus nodded after a brief moment, then turned towards the building with the intention of leading Megatron inside. "Right this way, sir…"

* * *

There was something disconcerting (to Starscream and Alexis both) about the discovery that they couldn't hear each other's thoughts, once Starxis had left their company. Still, the two jets determined, prior to their arrival at the Warp Gate, that it would be something that they'd have to get used to, especially if the point was to get Starxis used to the idea of being apart from them. To ease the tension, Alexis even joked that maybe it was time they started getting a little mystery back in their lives.

As Alexis found out upon arriving at the Warp Gate platform, this task force was quite sizable for such a simple mission, which reassured her and had her thinking that perhaps they would come through unscathed. Other than Optimus, Hot Shot, Jetfire, Scavenger, and Ironhide, there were four extra Autobots milling about who she only knew by name. Kicker was present as well, decked out in his battle armor and riding aboard Grindor in his hoverboard mode.

Optimus sent out a quick broadcast to Red Alert to ask if the satellites near the Mars and Asteroid Belt colonies were in position, then turned towards the troops gathered around him. "Everybody ready for this?" When he received an affirmative from each and every one of them, Optimus sighed and moved towards the platform, directing Jetfire and Scavenger to join him as the first to be transported.

Once on Mars, each of the Autobots was quick to move into formation to build as strong a perimeter as they could. Thus, Kicker was the last one to be transported, with his two guardians closely flanking him.

Though he knew what was expected of him, the teenager seemed a little distracted, gazing anxiously towards the sky as if he expected an attack to be imminent. Alexis watched him silently for a moment, then quietly urged, "Not to rush you, Kicker, but it would be better if we accomplish what we came here to do as quickly as possible."

Kicker let out a deep breath. "Right," he answered, directing Grindor to move forward after a moment; it soon became clear to Alexis that their teenaged ally had picked just the right Mini-Con to utilize on this trip.

The group slowly made their way in the direction of the ruined colony, all of the Autobots remaining silent so that Kicker would be able to focus on what he was sensing. Still, it wasn't until they were nearly on top of the ruined base that the teenager reported that there was barely any Energon left in this area. "Little enough that it would only take three or four Omnicons about an hour to collect it all." He looked up at Optimus. "Sorry if you were expecting more."

"Don't worry about it, Kicker," Optimus answered gently. "We should just be glad that there's any left at all." He hesitated, then activated his comlink to contact Red Alert. "We're getting ready to move to Asteroid City," he told the medic. "Any sign of Megatron?"

"No, there's not," Red Alert answered after a long moment. "But be careful, sir. The Decepticons could just as easily have slipped in under the radar. There are a lot of places to hide out there."

Optimus sighed, looking over at his soldiers. "Starscream, Jetfire, you two go first and scout the area. Once you're sure it's clear, signal the rest of us."

Alexis exchanged a look with Starscream just before her fellow jet warped away. Once he was gone, she turned her attention towards Kicker; the teenager, catching the sign of movement, was soon looking back at her. Dropping to one knee, she asked softly, "How are you holding up? Doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Kicker answered, though there was a note of agitation in his voice that worried her.

Alexis cast a glance over her shoulder to see if anyone was in earshot, then looked back at the boy, dropping her voice even lower. "Kicker, if something's bothering you, it might help to get it out there." She paused, waiting for an answer that wasn't forthcoming, then continued as a possible idea hit her. Perhaps there were some bad memories of being in outer space associated with what his father had put him through as a kid.

Alexis shifted her weight, a compassionate look coming to her face. Before she could say anything further, she could hear Jetfire signaling them that the coast was clear. Rising to her feet once more, she made a mental note to talk to Kicker in private, once they were back on Earth.

Establishing a perimeter on the Asteroid Belt was a lot more tricky since the troops couldn't all position themselves on the same rock. Those who could fly even had to assist those who couldn't in moving from one asteroid to another. Just before Kicker, Ironhide, and one of the additional Autobots were sent through to their location, Alexis did her best to banish all negative thoughts from her mind. Quite possibly, she was worrying herself over nothing.

In retrospect, she realized she should have known better than to assume that this mission would go off without a hitch.

The attack came so suddenly, just as Optimus and his soldiers were shifting position to maintain a protective barrier around Kicker, that it almost undid all of their careful planning. Still, it helped to some degree that Tidal Wave, Cyclonus, and the Terrorcons who were swooping in and taking potshots at the Autobot troops had seemingly been ordered to take care not to harm the boy.

Seeing that a stray laser beam was heading towards Ironhide, Alexis swiftly dove towards her partner and pushed him out of the way, simultaneously ducking behind the asteroid nearest her for cover. With wide optics, she looked to see that all the Autobots around her were likewise seeking shelter. However, the attack had commenced so quickly that a select few hadn't been lucky. Hot Shot looked to have been slammed against one of the huge floating rocks under the force of a shot and knocked out cold, there was a huge scorch mark marring Jetfire's right side, and one of the extra troops (a brawny gray and blue Autobot) had sparks shooting out of several damaged areas of his frame.

Optimus quickly reached out for Hot Shot, pulling his unconscious soldier towards him and briskly ordering Jetfire to see to their comrade's safety. In the next instant, the Autobot commander was unholstering his rifle, simultaneously activating his comlink to send a frantic message to Red Alert. Much to his puzzlement, there was no response for a few seconds, prompting him to try again.

When there was no response to this transmission either, Optimus chanced a look past the asteroid he was concealed behind, seeking the satellite that enabled communications from here to Earth. When he saw it was still intact, he began wracking his processor for an answer on why the messages might not be getting through.

A second later, Optimus realized that Red Alert had been watching the video feeds and surely would have transported them back to Earth at the first sign of trouble. He got his answer when he asked Alexis to try to warp out on her own; her attempt to do so failed.

Optimus swore out loud, causing several of his troops to regard him with wide optics. "Megatron's somehow gotten hold of a jamming device. He wanted to make sure that we'd be stuck here and that we couldn't easily get reinforcements," the Autobot commander said, loudly enough to ensure that all those around him could hear. After a couple seconds of indecision or trying to pull himself together, Optimus began silently praying with all his might that there may be a way to turn the situation in their favor…

* * *

Just outside the asteroid field where Optimus and his men were pinned down, Megatron gleefully allowed his troops to continue firing for another minute, until he saw that nothing could be gained by letting this stalemate go on indefinitely. He soared upwards slightly, positioning himself at a better angle that might allow him to see if the Autobots might try to escape further into the field, then called out, "All we want is the boy, Prime. If I have to, I will send in the Terrorcons after him, and I very much doubt you'd be able to eliminate all of them before they overwhelm you!"

Megatron hesitated, barely surprised when Optimus or any of the other Autobots didn't say anything in response. "I'll give you five minutes to decide which is more valuable to you -- the lives of your soldiers or one lone human boy. Better hurry and make up your mind, Prime…"

* * *

Inside the asteroid field, Optimus peered out several times from around the huge rock that he, Hot Shot, and Jetfire were concealed behind, doing his best to judge just how many of these Terrorcons there were in those brief glances. After determining that their odds weren't looking so good, he let his gaze wander helplessly from one of his soldiers to another. "If anyone has any suggestions that doesn't involve giving up, I'd gladly hear it," the Autobot commander said wearily.

At the neighboring asteroid to Optimus' right, Starscream bowed his head, looking blankly down at his wing sword and the rifle he held and wishing that at least one of the two weapons would be useful in getting them out of this mess. He (and the others) could attempt to take out the predatory bots with laser fire while using the asteroids for cover, but Megatron was likely correct that they wouldn't all be eliminated in time.

To Optimus' left, Alexis turned her gaze towards Kicker, now huddled between her and Ironhide. It pained her to see how scared the teenager looked, at least for the few seconds that the emotion remained on his face. Gradually, it melted into a blank expression, and then into a disturbing look of resignation.

After a couple seconds, Kicker tilted his head to gaze up at her, causing her even more pain by quietly asking, "We're all out of options, aren't we?"

Ironhide surprised all those in hearing range by vehemently saying, "Do not talk like that! We'll figure something out!"

Kicker was disturbingly calm when he turned to look at Ironhide. "We don't have time." A brief pause, then, "Megatron won't hurt me. I'm more valuable to him alive."

Optimus shook his head. "This is not an option, Kicker," he protested.

"What other choice do we have?" the boy countered. "One way or another, Megatron is going to get me. Why should any of you put your lives on the line if you don't have to?"

Alexis exchanged a look with Optimus, then tilted her head to look at Kicker. In a downright serious tone, she said, even as she was shifting to detach her own weapon, "Because as long as there is a chance that we might prevail, then we have to try!" She paused, shifting her attention back to Optimus after some thought. For a couple seconds, she remained silent, her optics showing that she was wrestling over whether or not she should give voice to what was on her mind. Finally, she hesitantly said, "I, uh… I have a really bad idea…"

* * *

For an instant, when the boy (perched on some sort of hoverboard) suddenly appeared over the top of one of the asteroids, Megatron was almost convinced that Optimus and his troops were indeed admitting defeat. His lips curled up into a cruel smile, and he shifted his weight towards Cyclonus, prepared to order his eccentric soldier to go forth and bring the boy to him.

Two forms sprang up just behind the human so quickly that Megatron barely comprehended that they were there before they started firing. Caught off guard, he blinked, wondering why any of the Autobots would take such a risk as to be so blatantly exposed to an attack. A second later, he noticed that Optimus' soldiers (Starscream's mate, and the impetuous bot who'd tried challenging Megatron in Ocean City) were huddled together as close as they could get, with the boy directly in front of them.

They were using the very human that Megatron had come to snatch away from them as a shield!

Quickly, Megatron barked out an order to all those on his side to hold their fire. Even as he did so, the remainder of the Autobot troops came to join in on the firefight, blasting away as swiftly and accurately as they could at the Terrorcons.

It didn't take Megatron very long to see that he needed to act fast before he lost a sizable amount of his army. Briskly, he ordered the Terrorcons to take evasive maneuvers and told Tidal Wave to focus on any and all Autobots that weren't protected behind a certain human. With that done, he turned his attention to Cyclonus and stated, in a loud, angry tone, "I don't care what you have to do, but you make sure you get that boy."

Even as his army scrambled to follow his orders, Megatron hung back for a moment, surveying the battlefield to get a feel for how the fight was progressing. Within seconds, he was seeing, in spite of their sudden, surprising tactic, the Autobots were still very much outmatched. If the Decepticon commander was counting right, their numbers had dropped by one, indicating that one of their own was either seriously injured or dead.

Megatron spared a glance towards the jamming device (hidden from sight as far as the Autobots were concerned) that Cyclonus had retrieved from the moon base. While the Decepticon commander still wasn't entirely clear on why the colony in question had needed such a device on hand, he was glad to see that it was still intact. At best, he and his troops still had another fifteen minutes before any of Optimus' men on Earth could figure out the radius of the interference, and send a backup team who would then have to fly in to the rescue.

With that in mind, Megatron focused back on the battlefield, just in time to see that Cyclonus had maneuvered into a position where he had a clear shot at the impetuous bot that the boy was "protecting." The Decepticon commander grinned, saying in a low, amused tone, "It was a nice try, Prime. But it looks like I win…"

* * *

Until she felt Ironhide suddenly stiffen against her, Alexis hadn't even seen that her partner had been open to an attack from Cyclonus. In her surprise, the grip she had on Ironhide's back to hold him close loosened by just a fraction, but she recovered in time to redirect the rifle in her left hand and fire off a series of shots at the eccentric bot.

Thankfully, she found that the hit that Ironhide took was nothing more than a glancing blow, and her partner was soon resuming his own attack on the Terrorcons. At the same time, the hoverboard Mini-Con that Kicker was riding on was consistently moving, keeping the boy centered to her left/Ironhide's right.

Though she didn't dare take her optics off Cyclonus, Alexis was still very much aware that she and the other Autobots were in danger of losing. Her last glimpse of the Terrorcons had told her that they were evading the laser fire too well and were slowly inching their way in.

Though she had become quite proficient, during her training, on how to hit a moving target, Cyclonus was much faster and more agile than all the targets she'd practiced with. The eccentric bot, too, was moving ever closer; it wouldn't be very long before he'd be upon her, Ironhide, and Kicker.

Alexis threw a very quick glance at her teenaged partner, feeling an immense pang of regret as she did so. _I'm so sorry, Kicker,_ she thought mournfully, fighting back the fear she felt over him winding up in Megatron's hands.

What happened next was so unexpected that Alexis, for a couple seconds, thought that she had to be dreaming.

Before she could even process that two or three near-deafening shots had sounded from somewhere behind her, there were two large and powerful-looking laser beams passing over her and Ironhide's heads. Even as the shots connected with a large group of the Terrorcons, Alexis blinked, completely stunned as she thought, _Those were too big to come from anything other than a ship._

An instant later, Alexis remembered that she should be focusing on Cyclonus. Thankfully, he looked to be just as stunned as she was, and he hadn't recovered nearly as well. Gritting her teeth, she raised her rifle, simultaneously setting the power to its highest level and fired off five shots in quick succession, each laser beam aimed at a slightly different angle than the preceding one

The third shot was the one that effectively did the most damage, as it ruptured Cyclonus' fuel tank; the resulting sparks from a separate injury ignited the tiny amount of gasoline inside, causing a small explosion that significantly damaged the eccentric bot from the inside out. At this sight, Alexis lightly bit her lip, resisting the urge to laugh over this little quirk of Cyclonus' to occasionally use human resources as a power source.

There came the sound of another loud shot from somewhere behind her, shortly followed by the sight of an small asteroid slightly above the Autobots' present location being blown to bits. For a few seconds, Alexis wondered at the significance of this, until she suddenly heard Optimus' comlink buzz to life, and the very welcome sound of Red Alert's worried voice rang through.

Optimus wasted no time before he ordered a retreat, making absolutely sure that Kicker, Grindor, Alexis, and Ironhide were the first ones to warp back to Earth…

* * *

Confident that Megatron and his Decepticons would not be able to pinpoint just where the shots had originated from, Rodimus settled comfortably into his chair aboard the bridge of his camouflaged ship, adopting a relaxed, lazy pose.

It was quite fortuitous that he and his companions had decided to venture to this location, though it had been in part because they'd wanted to investigate why the tracking beacon they'd placed on one of the Terrorcons had suddenly gone dead. Knowing that there was very little chance that Megatron could have found and disposed of the tracer so easily had prompted Rodimus to want to find out what was going on.

Watching the Decepticons through the bridge's viewscreen, Chromia was, for once, almost shocked silent. "Wow," she said quietly, her gaze focused on Megatron. Her next statement was such an understatement that it had her sister and Rodimus laughing out loud. "He looks mad…"

* * *

For a long while after the Autobots had vacated the premises, Megatron was wildly searching for wherever the decisive laser fire had come from, growing all the more angry by the second as he failed to see anything. "Slag!" he said, in such a loud, enraged tone that it should have warned his troops that this was definitely not a good time to get on his nerves.

At least Tidal Wave had blind obedience to use in his defense, as he drifted to his leader's side, carrying the badly-damaged Cyclonus in one of his massive hands. Amazingly, the eccentric bot was still conscious in spite of his severe injuries, and he shortly turned his head in Megatron's direction, the look in his optics showing he was in great pain and likely very dazed.

In any case, the words that passed through Cyclonus' lips were the absolute worst thing he could have said at this point. "Megatron," he said weakly. "Can we go back to the ship so I can get fixed?"

For what seemed like forever, Megatron didn't move or say anything. Then, he slowly rotated in Cyclonus' direction; the eccentric bot was soon getting slightly alarmed by the look in his leader's optics. Before either Cyclonus or Tidal Wave could fully react, Megatron was leaning towards the eccentric bot with an angry cry, wrapping one hand around Cyclonus' throat and pulling him upwards, none too gently.

"Oh, I'll fix you alright!" Megatron growled, tapping into what remained of his Energon-based power source to open a gate to a specific location. Just before he passed through the portal with Cyclonus in tow, he yelled out, in a tone that scared even his oversized minion, "Tidal Wave, take the remaining Terrorcons back to the battleship! And stay put until this piece of slag and I return!"

* * *

Once he learned, from quietly spying on Demolisher and Scorpinok as they questioned Tidal Wave on what was going on, that Megatron would not be coming back anytime soon, Sideways could only sigh in annoyance. And, given that the oversized bot didn't have a clue as to where the Decepticon commander had taken Cyclonus (or for what purpose), the only thing that Sideways could do at this point was wait.

A moment later, the invisible assassin was thinking, _I'll give it three hours before I contact Alpha Q to find out where Megatron went to. One way or another, I'm not waiting forever, cooling my heels, to get the job done…_

* * *

Cyclonus was never sure of when exactly he'd passed out, nor of how long he'd been unconscious. As he gradually came to, he rolled over onto his side with a groan. Bringing his optics online a few seconds later allowed him to identify that he was lying in the center of a very familiar biological cavern.

After another moment, Cyclonus eased himself into a sitting position, wondering as he did so why his joints felt so stiff. He raised one hand to rub at the back of his neck, which provided him with his first clue on what had changed. The layout of that part of his frame didn't feel quite the same way that he remembered.

Cyclonus blinked, then maneuvered his arms into view of his optics. Once he confirmed that they had been changed to an altogether different color, he rose to his feet with some difficulty, looking around the chamber for some kind of reflective surface he could look into to discover just what Megatron had done to him.

When he saw, quite literally, his own ruined body lying on the floor a few feet away, Cyclonus stumbled backwards with a startled yelp. For a full minute, he couldn't quite process what he was seeing before realization hit him.

_Slag it! _Cyclonus thought wildly, wondering if what he'd done, or failed to do, had really been so terrible as to warrant this. _Megatron transplanted my spark into a brand new body!_

Cyclonus eyed his old body for a moment, his unease growing as he began to see evidence that Megatron had seemingly inflicted further damage. If he had to hazard a guess, Cyclonus would say that the Decepticon commander had wanted to make sure it would be impossible for the eccentric bot to slip back into his more familiar skin.

Cyclonus gave a soft sigh after a long moment, resigning himself to get acclimated to his new frame. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, once he worked out the kinks and got a good feel for how this body would work in a battle.

It didn't take very much longer before Cyclonus began to notice what he was lacking. The more he searched for something to the contrary and came up empty, the more depressed and/or indignant he got. No thrusters, no rotar blades, nothing! At last, he buried his face in one hand, shaking his head from side to side. _Oh, Primus… He grounded me!_

* * *

_Next up: the long-awaited showdown between Sideways and Megatron holds some unexpected consequences for Alpha Q, Scorpinok, and Alexis..._


	18. All Come Undone

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Disclaimer: Don't own them; Hasbro does._

_Author's notes: I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter and that you don't think me too evil once you reach the end. I don't yet know how long the next chapter will take to flesh out._

_In the meantime, I have a brand new poll going on my profile for those who would like to participate, which was partially inspired by another story on this site, Keep Driving._

_And now, on with the show:_

Chapter Seventeen

Given that there was no satellite footage of the battle thanks to the jamming device, Red Alert's only way of cataloging what had happened was to download what each of the participants (save for Hot Shot and Grindor) had seen during those critical moments. As soon as the medic was done gathering the needed data, each of Optimus' soldiers were free to go their separate ways.

While this procedure was going on, Red Alert mentioned to Kicker that Misha had come to Ocean City to visit with his family members, prompting the teenager to go and seek her out. As the boy began to walk off, Alexis threw a glance his way, making another mental note to have a talk with him at a later point.

Though Alexis and Starscream made a detour to pick up their adopted child (and got a good laugh over how overjoyed Starxis was to see them), they were soon gathered in the surveillance room along with all the other battle participants to review the feeds. As Alexis thought, apparently everyone was curious to see if there was some clue as to who had saved them.

Given that all the videos were running in sync with one another, though they were slowed down to give those gathered time to look between all the screens and still get a good idea of what was happening, Alexis was not sure of just which of the Autobots had gotten a glimpse of where the mystery shots had originated. In any case, she was startled to see that the third laser beam had seemingly materialized out of thin air.

Optimus was soon requesting for Red Alert to freeze the image and then to enlarge it. In seconds, the picture was displayed on the main monitor. After a moment of silence, Optimus said, "Can you apply a thermal screen to this, Red Alert?"

The medic nodded, doing just that with a few simple keystrokes. Alexis couldn't make sense of the random heat signatures until Optimus said, "Seems we have some mystery ally looking out for us." He turned to look at his troops, adding, "The outline of this ship suggests that it's of Cybertronian design."

Resisting the urge to give a silly smile at the way Starxis was cuddling against her neck, Alexis turned to look at Optimus. "How could anyone have responded so quickly to the fact that we were in trouble?" she asked.

Optimus tilted his head downwards a notch, remaining silent for a time before saying, "Rather than question it, we should just be glad that salvation came when we needed it most." He looked back at her. "Sometimes, things just happen by pure chance, Alexis… Every soldier that we have on our side, here on Earth, was pretty much accounted for, and there were no reports from Cybertron that would indicate someone was coming to help us out. Unless someone comes forward to claim responsibility, we may never know who our savior was."

Alexis gave a slight nod, then turned to look at Scavenger when he spoke, offering some sort of praise on her accomplishment. When she saw he was looking at the smaller monitors off to the left, she turned to see that the pictures on each of them had been frozen as well. Right now, a view of the damage she'd inflicted on Cyclonus, as seen from her own perspective, was clearly visible.

Earlier, in the heat of battle, Alexis had been simply focused on protecting Kicker, by any means necessary. But now, seeing just how much harm she'd caused the eccentric bot made her flinch. As Starscream came to comfortingly lay one hand on her shoulder, she said, "I hope I didn't kill him."

Red Alert turned towards her. "You didn't," he assured her. "The videos we have of the aftermath proves that. Although…" The medic paused, scratching nervously at the side of his face before adding, "I'd say that Cyclonus is more in danger of suffering from Megatron's wrath than from what you did to him, Alexis." Seeing that she didn't exactly look reassured by this, Red Alert continued with, "Don't worry. It's not as if Megatron has plenty of seasoned warriors on his side. He wouldn't execute Cyclonus, no matter how angry he is, when it wouldn't be easy to find a suitable replacement."

Alexis let out a deep breath, letting the tension drain out of her, before kicking off another topic. "So, how's the construction of our new defenses going?"

Red Alert gave a soft sigh. "If the work progresses at the same rate it's been going, and even if we take everyone's getting a good night's sleep into account, it should be completed by sometime tomorrow afternoon."

Ironhide drew attention to himself by saying, "Let's hope it proves to be effective in holding off future attacks."

Optimus cleared his throat. "If there even is a future attack," he said, causing several of his soldiers turn to look at him curiously. "We can't assume that Sideways is going to fail. If he hasn't gone after Megatron by now, then odds are great that he will be doing so soon. Megatron would have to come up with a very good plan, and fast, if he's to have any hope of surviving…"

* * *

Figuring out how to reformat Cyclonus had been remarkably easy, once Megatron had patched in to Unicron's processor, and thankfully, there was just enough Energon to pull off the feat. The cable that Alpha Q had been utilizing was still present, and the Decepticon leader had been quick to hook it into his own CPU. Forging a new body for Cyclonus (designed from an Autobot that Megatron had once fought) didn't take very long, as Megatron discovered that simply thinking about it had willed it into existence. The same applied when it came to transplanting the spark and memory banks of the eccentric bot.

Once Cyclonus had been rebuilt, Megatron shortly decided that he didn't have the patience to just stand around and wait for his soldier to wake up. For the next several moments, he just wandered aimlessly through Unicron's expansive frame, occasionally throwing punches at or kicking the walls as a way of burning off steam. While he was still fuming quite a bit by the time he reached the chamber that was the dark god's stomach, he had calmed down just enough to realize that he needed to stop dwelling on his failure and focus on coming up with an alternative plan for dealing with Sideways.

The name of the rogue bot had barely passed through Megatron's mind before it brought on an unexpected development. Until a freestanding window appeared before the Decepticon commander, displaying some sort of video of Sideways, Megatron had literally forgotten that the cable he'd used to tap into Unicron's processor was still attached.

Megatron blinked, unable to focus for a moment, until the sound of Sideways' voice drew his full attention to the video. At first, he couldn't make sense of why the rogue bot would be complaining about having had too much High Grade the night before, nor did he recognize the dingy little metal room that Sideways was residing in.

Megatron got his answer when a familiar silky smooth voice sounded from somewhere off frame, causing Sideways to look up groggily towards whatever was recording these images. "Wow, you really are pathetic," the off-screen voice said, causing the Decepticon leader to brighten considerably.

The visage of video-Sideways showed he was definitely hung-over, but he was still irate over having gotten a seemingly-unwanted visitor. "Didn't I tell you to get lost last night?! What are you still doing here?!" Sideways said gruffly.

There was a short pause, then, "Because I believe you're worth more than drinking yourself into oblivion, Sideways."

Megatron cast his optics downwards at this point, his mind reeling. "Am I seeing how Sideways and Unicron first met?" he murmured thoughtfully, going on to muse that it would have been easy for Unicron to take on the guise of a normal-sized Transformer specifically for this meeting.

For a long while, Megatron silently contemplated this, wondering why he'd not seen just how beneficial it could be to tap into Unicron's abilities. Perhaps accessing the memory banks of the dark god to learn as much as he could about Sideways would end up giving Megatron some sort of edge.

And if not… Well, maybe it was time that Megatron found out what kind of possibilities that Unicron's powers could offer him…

* * *

Once the meeting had ended, Alexis made a request to Optimus to arrange for a special training exercise, for the purpose of honing her shooting skills. Hearing her, Ironhide was soon asking to join in on the exercise, and it wasn't long before both rookies were sequestered within one of the virtual simulation rooms on the lower levels.

Alexis and Ironhide barely said a word to each other before activating the needed program and focusing wholeheartedly on their targets. This lasted for roughly forty minutes, with the two trainees occasionally throwing out comments designed to help one another, before Ironhide decided they could use a break and called out for computer to abort the simulation.

Alexis lowered her rifle, taking a deep breath and relaxing her fighting stance. In the next instant, she called for the computer to display a statistics page to see how she and Ironhide had done. While she was surveying their progress, Ironhide loudly cleared his throat, causing her to look at him in slight surprise.

Wearing an unreadable expression, he said, a slight note of shame in his voice, "I… I don't think I ever said I was sorry." When this lone statement caused Alexis to look at him questioningly, Ironhide clarified things with, "When I accused you of not knowing what it takes to be a soldier." He paused, looking downwards. "You handled yourself amazingly out there today. I don't think I could ever improvise as well as you can."

Alexis tilted her head to one side, a glint of sympathy coming to her optics. After a brief silence, she said, "In all honesty, Ironhide, you shouldn't have to." When he looked up at her in surprise, she stated quietly, "Part of what makes the Autobots such a good team is that they all excel in different areas. It's just a matter of discovering what your own individual strengths are and running with them." She waited a moment to see if he would respond, then prompted him by saying, "If it helps, I'd say that you have a lot of sheer determination going for you, Ironhide. Even when the odds are against you, you're not one to give up easily."

Ironhide considered this, then gazed across at her with a smile. "I guess that the two of us really do make a great pair, in that case," he said in an amicable tone. After a moment, he stuck out his hand. "Friends?" he asked tentatively.

"Agreed," Alexis replied, reaching out and clasping his hand firmly in hers in a cordial gesture. "And, apology accepted," she added, earning a short laugh from him.

Past that short exchange, Alexis launched another, though much shorter, training simulation. Once this exercise was completed and the two trainees had viewed the results, she excused herself and walked from the room, her thoughts focused on seeking out Kicker.

She found her teenaged partner and Misha on one of the upper balconies on the exterior of the city, talking in low, peaceful tones. Alexis even cracked a smile at the sight of Misha's hand resting on top of his. _At least Kicker has always had someone he trusted and could confide in,_ Alexis mused, but then went on to wonder if even Misha had known what his father had done.

After a moment, in which she was tuning out whatever the teenagers were talking about to give them some privacy, Alexis took a step forward, clearing her throat to catch their attention. Tentatively, she said, "Sorry to interrupt, but… I was hoping we could talk, Kicker."

Misha answered first, looking towards Kicker and responding to the slight irritation that crossed his face. Her soft-spoken words drew his attention back to her. "You forget what I said that quickly?" she teased lightly, accentuating it with a slight giggle. "No getting angry at someone who's trying to help."

Kicker reddened considerably, but answered with a simple nod. Seconds later, Misha pardoned herself by saying she was going to see Sally, leaving Kicker and Alexis to their own devices.

Deciding that the sounds of the construction that were still going on around them was a little annoying, the first thing that Alexis suggested was that they go somewhere a little more quiet. Moments later, she and Kicker were seated near the top of Ocean City's central spire, side by side on the ledge with their legs dangling over the edge.

Looking down at the teenager, Alexis tentatively said, "Things got pretty scary out there today, huh?"

Kicker looked back at her, giving a hesitant nod. "I guess Megatron has always had that effect on people."

Alexis shook her head, surprising him by saying, "That's not what I mean." There was a long pause, then she went on with, "Did something happen when you were a kid, to make you terrified of being in outer space?" When he gave another, though even more hesitant, nod, Alexis said, with as much sympathy as she could muster, "There's no shame in being scared, Kicker. But I've found that perhaps the most tried and true way to get over those fears is to talk about them."

He remained silent for a while, as though he needed time to absorb the full meaning of what she was saying. "It's, uh, nothing big, I guess," he said haltingly. When Kicker didn't say anything further, Alexis cast a glance his way, simply watching the conflicted emotions crossing his face. At last, he went on with, "Did you ever, as a kid, get scared when you were in the center of a crowded mall and couldn't find your Mom or Dad?"

Alexis nodded. "Many children have experienced such a moment, I suppose."

Kicker looked up at her with slightly haunted eyes. "Then imagine what it's like to be left floating aimlessly through an asteroid field for twenty minutes because your own father couldn't locate you." After a slight pause, Kicker was prompted to go on by the questioning look in her eyes. "It was one of the worst things he did. For the most part, he would keep me on a tether, attached to the ship, while I used a jetpack to go searching for you-know-what."

Kicker bit his lip, continuing with, "One day… I don't know if it was impatience or if his eagerness got the better of him. He made me remove the tether and venture deep into the Asteroid Belt. Promised he would come to pick me up immediately if I needed him." Kicker paused again, giving a deep, pained sigh. "To make a long story short, my jetpack eventually ran out of fuel…"

Alexis would have been shedding tears if it had been possible. "And your father hadn't been keeping track of where you were," she said quietly, filling in the blanks.

A long silence ensued between them following this revelation; Alexis deliberately said nothing, simply allowing him to quietly work through whatever grief or hard feelings he was experiencing right now. At last, she said, "I know you may not want to hear this, but it may help to have it out with your Dad, one of these days."

Kicker's eyes flared with anger, his defensiveness returning. Alexis didn't allow him to get a word in edgewise before saying, "One of the worst outcomes you could face, if this isn't resolved, is to be estranged from your whole family… If you think about it, it wouldn't exactly be fair to ask your Mom and Sally to take sides in what's happening. Ask yourself how much you want to risk losing them too, because of this grudge you have."

After a long while, Kicker looked up at her curiously, asking, "How do you do it? How'd you get to be such an expert on family issues?"

Alexis sighed, then said with a slight note of humor, "Because I've technically been someone's mother since I was fifteen. Over the years, I've delved into a number of family psychology books on how to deal with Starxis, alien or not."

Kicker's eyes widened in disbelief. "And they were actually helpful?" he asked skeptically.

Alexis offered a slight chuckle. "More than you know." A slight pause, and then, "Feeling better now? Promise you'll talk to your Dad?"

Kicker stared up at her for a lengthy moment, then gradually adopted a consenting smile, some of her positive attitude rubbing off on him. "I promise," he answered, then went to staring out towards the horizon, along with Alexis, for a long while…

* * *

It took Demolisher and Tidal Wave a full two minutes, once their eccentric comrade returned, alone, to the battleship, to comprehend that this was indeed Cyclonus. It helped to some degree that the latter's voice was unchanged. Still, Demolisher forced himself to bury his shock over this development and ask after Megatron.

Having gleaned from his teammates that he resembled some kind of arctic exploration vehicle, Cyclonus gazed down at the ski-like blades attached to his feet with a new comprehension. Still, there was an ample amount of irritation in his voice when he said, "I can't believe he did this to me!"

Demolisher tilted his head to one side, feeling an unexpected wave of sympathy. While he wasn't an aerial soldier (and probably never would be), he had seen by observation just how much his comrades loved ruling the skies. Even Tidal Wave, dim though he might be, seemed to enjoy being airborne.

After a moment, Demolisher said, "How did Megatron even manage this?"

Cyclonus looked over in irritation. "You should know, Demolisher!" he said sharply. "You were there when he asked Scorpinok what it took to create the Terrorcons!"

Demolisher froze, and it took him a long while to formulate a single question. "Unicron?"

Cyclonus scoffed. "Give the groundling a prize," he said with a strong note of sarcasm.

At that, Demolisher lost his temper, and he strode forward, seizing Cyclonus roughly by one arm with an enraged look in his optics. "I don't care if you don't like it! That doesn't give you the right to be disrespectful!" A pause, then, "Better get used to it, Cyclonus, because Primus knows that Megatron would likely never be kind enough to give back what he took!" Without giving the eccentric bot a chance to respond, Demolisher released him and stomped off.

Cyclonus watched dumbfounded as the hard-edged bot departed, and turned to look up at Tidal Wave after a long moment. "When did he get so touchy?" Cyclonus asked, barely surprised when the big guy simply shrugged…

* * *

It didn't take Sideways long, upon learning the location of the Decepticon commander, to venture to that very place. It was something of an experiment, seeing if he could use his ties to Unicron to simply teleport instantly to the remains of the dark god. When the attempt had instantly landed him somewhere within Unicron's interior, Sideways smiled wryly beneath his faceplate.

It took the assassin a moment to get his bearings, and he soon began to move stealthily through the ruins. From there, it didn't take him long to find Megatron, and Sideways had to strongly resist the urge to chuckle when he saw the Decepticon commander was dozing in some sort of solid organic throne within Unicron's spark chamber.

_You are so conceited and predictable_, Sideways thought wryly as he stepped quietly into the chamber, holding his sword at the ready. _Hope you're ready for whatever awaits you on the other side, Megatron._

Until he attempted to run the sword straight through Megatron's spark, Sideways hadn't had even the vaguest clue that he was being deceived. It shocked him when the blade didn't meet with any resistance, effectively throwing Sideways off balance until the tip of the sword planted itself in the throne. For a few seconds, the assassin stared, dumbfounded, at what he slowly began to realize was a very convincing hologram of Megatron.

Upon this recognition, Sideways didn't even have a chance to look around before someone's hand closed around the scruff of his neck. He hadn't realized that he'd turned visible (or solid for that matter) in his shock. Before Sideways could even react, Megatron spun him around, simultaneously pressing one hand to the assassin's chest.

Sideways grunted as an unexpected jolt of pain passed through him at the instant that Megatron touched him. A couple seconds later, Sideways noticed some sort of three-dimensional oval (he didn't know how else to describe it) of blackness had appeared to his left, and he had barely comprehended this before he was thrown towards it, through it.

All these events had happened so quickly that it took Sideways an extraordinary amount of time to comprehend it. With wide optics, he looked around, disturbed when he saw he was seemingly trapped within some kind of black void. Rising to his feet, he tried the only recourse that seemed to be left to him. "Alpha Q," he called out, hoping that the spindly bot might be able to do something to salvage the situation. Sideways did not want to think about what otherwise might happen. "Get me out of here."

The answering chuckle that sounded through the darkness was the last thing that Sideways wanted to hear. "He can't help you now," Megatron said, his voice seeming to thunder through whatever this place was. "I made sure to sever your connection to Unicron so your so-called employer would be unable to retrieve you." There was a slight pause, then the Decepticon commander continued with, "At ease, Sideways. If I wanted you dead, it would have been easy to use that same connection to finish you."

Sideways blinked, torn between confusion and curiosity. After a moment, he squared his shoulders, staring guardedly out into the vast darkness. "What is it that you do want then, Megatron?" he asked, a hard note in his tone.

There came the sound of another chuckle, then, "First off, simply to say that perhaps we got off on the wrong foot." At that, a series of images began to appear around Sideways; it didn't take the rogue bot long to recognize that he was seeing a progression of sorts of how he and Unicron had come to be allied.

Megatron was silent for a couple seconds before continuing with, "It's a very interesting history you have, Sideways. And it's quite easy now to see how Unicron was able to earn your loyalty." There was another short period of silence before the Decepticon commander stated, with an ironic laugh, "It's funny. I never pegged you as someone who was seeking revenge against a whole planet whom you blamed for having destroyed your homeworld… What better way to retaliate than by getting a powerful deity at your back who was willing to seek out and annihilate those you call enemies?"

Sideways sneered. "Don't pretend to care about such a trivial vendetta, Megatron," he snapped. "You've probably gotten a good laugh out of less."

For a long while, there was no reply, then Sideways was caught off guard once more when a ghost-like image of Megatron appeared before him. The rogue bot was even more caught unawares when he didn't see a trace of humor in the Decepticon commander's optics.

Calmly, Megatron said, "You interest me, Sideways. Until I saw these videos, I'd not realized just how much we had in common… You're a fool if you believe I wouldn't react similarly if it were Cybertron that had been lost, under the same circumstances." Megatron paused, waiting for a response that never came. "But I'm also inclined to agree with what Unicron once said. You have potential to be more than the shortsighted fool with a big chip on his shoulder… On that note, let's talk about Optimus Prime. You'd do far better inflicting some psychological hurt instead of resorting to a straight-up assassination."

Sideways hesitated, then gave a loud, ironic laugh even though something about Megatron's words niggled at him. "You're advising me now, is that it?" Sideways said derisively. When Megatron didn't answer, the rogue bot went on with, "Well, you're a little late. Optimus is dead…"

Megatron's lips twisted up in a wry grin. Even as he spoke, a new window opened up just to his left, playing some sort of video. "Just what I thought… Would make sense for Alpha Q to lead you to believe that."

Puzzled, Sideways looked towards the video as it played out, gaining more and more of a comprehension as he viewed the aftermath of his supposed victory. By the time it was over, the rogue bot was virtually seething with rage, giving voice to a single statement that indicated just how steamed he was. "That slagging aft!" Sideways roared, the murderous look in his optics leaving no doubt that he was talking about his "employer."

Sideways would have loved nothing better at this point than to have a shot at Alpha Q for having deceived him, but gradually realized that his connection to Unicron had (according to Megatron) been severed. While Sideways was glad that this had prevented the spindly bot from retrieving him, he eventually comprehended that it meant he'd not be able to venture across space to wherever Alpha Q currently resided. And unfortunately, Sideways had never gotten a look at the stars during the few moments he'd been inside the part of Unicron that was controlled by the pest, meaning there was no way to chart a course to that location.

Sideways grudgingly related this information to Megatron, leading the Decepticon leader to question his companion how much he knew about the nature of Alpha Q and Scorpinok's relationship. Letting out a deep breath, Sideways said haltingly, "I don't know… All I have to go on is how they related to each other prior to your return." Sideways preceded to tell Megatron everything he had speculated from observing the talks between the two, then said, "I'm not sure, but one of the reasons that Alpha Q might have resorted to seeking my help was because he wanted his lackey back."

Megatron bowed his head, spending a moment in quiet reflection. "Alpha Q did express regret in having to leave Scorpinok in my company," he said thoughtfully. After a couple seconds, Megatron shook his head as if to clear it, refocusing on Sideways. "Well, I imagine that we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Sideways recoiled, thrown by the audacity Megatron displayed with this statement. "You're not serious!" he blurted out. A slight pause, then, "You're actually assuming I'd agree to join your team!"

"I am," Megatron said simply. "Because as I said earlier -- it would be more rewarding to inflict a psychological revenge against a certain Autobot commander that we're both at odds with, Sideways. I have just the perfect plan in mind, but I'd not be able to pull it off without someone possessing your unique talents."

Sideways looked downwards, considering this offer for what seemed like forever. At last, he focused back on Megatron, expressing his interest and willingness to agree to his companion's terms by saying, "Count me in…"

* * *

Scorpinok couldn't have been more pleased when Cyclonus had told him in passing that Megatron had requested that another raid be led on a remote planet. As he flew from the battleship with the Terrorcons at his heels, Scorpinok breathed a sigh of relief, instantly glad to be away from the stifling atmosphere generated by his three Decepticon companions.

He was quick to venture to the same locale as before, though he made sure to lead the Terrorcons to one of the other planets. He didn't see any problem in allowing the predatory bots to do a little digging.

Scorpinok didn't know how long he had stood there watching after the jaguars had burrowed beneath the ground, with the falcons close behind each of them. Eventually, the sound of footsteps approaching him from behind made him turn with a start. Scorpinok was even more surprised when he saw who his company was.

"How did you find me?" Scorpinok asked with wide optics.

Rodimus took a step forward, making it a point to show that he had a gun held firmly at his side. "My girls and I had been keeping an eye out for you," he said simply.

"Girls?" Scorpinok questioned.

Rodimus shook his head, giving a dry laugh. "Don't read too much into it… I've merely raised Elita and Chromia from when they were sparklings." After a short silence, he went on with, "In any case, we're not here to talk about me."

It only took seconds for Scorpinok to see what Rodimus was driving at. "You wish to know more about me."

Rodimus nodded. "You mentioned before that your intentions are not the same as Megatron's, and that you're using the stolen Energon only for a good cause. Prove to me that I'm not making a mistake in trusting you… I'm guessing you have time now to tell me the full story."

Scorpinok nodded after a tense moment, opening his mouth to speak. Before he could say a word, however, the communication screen in his visor was activated. A second later, the sound of Alpha Q's three most dominant facets thundered through, all talking at once and at such a volume that even Rodimus could hear them.

Feeling flustered, Scorpinok cast a quick apologetic look at his companion, then lowered the visor, focusing on the image of Alpha Q. It instantly bothered him that the oversized cone housing his liege's interior heads was spinning so fast, so each of the faces was coming across in a blur. After a few seconds of listening to and trying to make sense of the frenzied, near-unintelligible rant, he said loudly, "Calm down, my friend! I can't understand you!"

It took a few moments before Alpha Q was able to relax enough to put forth what had him so agitated. Upon hearing this lone statement, Scorpinok froze for an instant, an enormous amount of dread descending on him. Though he'd been worried that this particular outcome (in a manner of speaking) might befall them, he'd not expected that Sideways would doublecross them to this extent. "He did what?!"

* * *

Shortly after he had sent Sideways off to Earth to set the plan in motion, Megatron was surprised when Scorpinok and the Terrorcons put in an appearance to deposit their bounty from the latest raid. Megatron spent a moment just studying his companion while engaging in idle chatter, but didn't see any sign that Scorpinok knew what had transpired.

Perhaps Sideways had been wrong, and Alpha Q didn't care about his lackey very much after all. If Scorpinok had been warned in any way, then surely he would not have come back here.

Scorpinok shifted his weight, undoubtedly disturbed by the way Megatron was staring at him. "Is there a problem, sir?"

Megatron shook his head, wondering very much now if he'd been wrong in questioning Scorpinok's loyalty. But then, he reminded himself that he could always assign Sideways to secretly watch their "friend" for any sign of deceit. "Nothing, Megatron said simply. A pause, then, "I imagine you'll be adding to our army's ranks then."

Even as he said yes, Scorpinok was wryly thinking, _An army that I can one day use to ensure your downfall, Megatron. One way or another, Unicron will once more belong solely to Alpha Q…_

* * *

When a full day passed with no sign of the Decepticons, the mood around Ocean City was, for the most part, more positive than it had been in days. Around noon, the construction of the force field towers had been completed and successfully tested to be sure they were working.

Feeling confidant that there was no harm in making certain allowances, Optimus summoned Starscream and Alexis into his office that very evening. After mentioning in passing that he would soon be organizing a venture into the Alaskan tundra to lay the groundwork for a new Earth-based colony, Optimus got straight to his reason for calling the two jets to see him.

Clearing his throat, Optimus said gently, "It's my opinion that our new defenses will prove quite effective against future raids. That being the case, I feel that all of us can be allowed a chance to get back to more normal lives." There was a slight pause, and then, "On that note, I'm giving the both of you a temporary leave of absence… I'm aware that you have a brand new house on the mainland that you've barely been able to take advantage of since this whole debacle began."

A soft, joyful cry passed through Alexis' lips, once the realization fully hit her. She turned to gaze at Starscream, exchanging an overjoyed look with him, then focused back on Optimus. The Autobot commander went on to say that he would be calling them back in case they were needed, but that he didn't foresee any problem. Alexis answered with a single nod and said, "Thank you."

Optimus stepped around his desk, offering a cordial smile as he prepared to see the two out of the office. As the two jets began to leave the room, all three Transformers were surprised when Starxis turned to look at Optimus and said, "Family time appreciated…"

* * *

Organizing the operation to take place in Alaska went far easier than Optimus had hoped it would. Despite the fact that the established camp would be quite small and that there was every likelihood that he'd be unable to avoid his father in the few days spent there, Kicker still agreed to help out. That very evening, once the tents had been set up, a small group of Autobots, humans, and Omnicons made their way out into the wilderness.

The Transformers, too, had their own adequately-sized tents available for use, though not all made use of them. For the entire first night, Scavenger sat out in the open, partially focusing on keeping his own gears from freezing over and acting as a lookout in case of trouble.

Just before dawn, Scavenger was surprised when Optimus emerged from his tent; one good look at the Autobot commander told him that Optimus was undoubtedly on edge about something.

Hazarding a guess, Scavenger said, even as Optimus closed the distance between them, "Are you that concerned that we'll be facing another attack?"

Optimus shook his head. "None of Megatron's men even knows about this location, Scavenger. It's unlikely that they'd be looking for us all the way out here," he said, though there was an odd note in his voice. After a long pause, he sighed and added, "I'm worried about what might be going on amongst the Decepticons. I was so sure that we would have heard something of Megatron's fate after two days."

Scavenger tilted his head to one side. "That doesn't mean we won't. As far as Cyclonus, Tidal Wave, and Demolisher go… Assuming that Sideways was successful, maybe they just need time to recover from losing Megatron again."

Optimus gave a second, much deeper sigh, making Scavenger turn to regard him curiously. For what seemed like forever, the Autobot commander remained silent, appearing for all the world like he wrestling with his own thoughts. At last, he looked up, quietly saying, "There's… There's something I should have trusted you with, if anyone. I thought that it would be better if no one knew." He paused again, shaking his head. "What I'm about to tell you, Scavenger, has to stay strictly confidential for the time being."

Scavenger nodded, letting out a deep breath. He couldn't remember if he'd ever seen Optimus look this dead serious. "You have my word…"

* * *

All things considered, the day passed by rather uneventfully. Sometime during the morning hours, Optimus caught the tail end of an argument between Miranda and Brian Jones; the latter was told in no uncertain terms that he was not to do or say anything that would put pressure on their son. Shortly after, Miranda had gone to Kicker to say simply that he should never be afraid to tell her anything.

The expedition to pinpoint where they should place the newest mine commenced shortly after lunchtime, with the "hunting party" trekking in a northeasterly direction from the camp. To speed things up, the humans were riding on board ordinary snowmobiles, which the Autobots had no trouble keeping pace with.

As soon as Kicker pinpointed a specific location where the Energon deposits could be found, Optimus was quick to place a marker in the ground that would allow the Omnicons to find it. Once that task was accomplished, the group returned to the base camp, where they would stay for several days until a sufficient tunnel system had been dug into the Earth. The Omnicons were notorious for working fast at establishing mines, and they would be working in shifts to ensure a nonstop progression towards their goal.

Phase two of this task would be allowing Kicker to venture into the tunnels to get a sense of where the Omnicons should more specifically being focusing.

It wasn't until after three in the afternoon that a disturbing message came in from Ocean City, via Hot Shot. For a moment, Optimus, Scavenger, and Ironhide could only stare speechlessly at the monitor that had been set up in the tent that was serving as their command center, their optics darkened with worry. According to their impetuous comrade, someone had hacked into Ocean's City database and had apparently done so from inside the colony.

Optimus let out a deep breath, knowing that there was only one bot that could have gone undetected. "Sideways," he murmured. In a louder tone, he added, "Do you know what he was looking for, Hot Shot? Does he know where we are?"

Hot Shot cleared his throat. "According to Red Alert, he was digging into information on all our colonies… But, and this is kind of puzzling, he was also spending some time looking into personnel files. I don't know just what he was up to, but it may be a good idea to beef up security at the camp out there."

Optimus nodded, noting just who he'd like to be dispatched to their location. "Thanks for the heads up, Hot Shot. It never hurts to be prepared for anything…"

* * *

As they set about painting the upstairs rooms of their home on the mainland, Starscream couldn't remember when he'd ever seen Alexis this playful or giddy. Sometime after they had started at this task, she had caught him off guard by swiping at his arm with a roller coated in coral-colored paint.

Somehow, this kicked off thirty minutes of the two jets taking shots at each other. By the end of it, both Starscream and Alexis had been reduced to fits of giggling, both of them coated in numerous streaks of pale pink. Even Starxis had not escaped this little game, as minute splotches of paint were present in his brown fur.

Fearing that he may drop the roller in his hand, Starscream held his breath long enough to set it down in the paint tin on the nearby covered desk, then grabbed hers to do likewise. A second later, he found that he shouldn't have worried, as he noticed that there were footprints of said paint strewn across the floor. Curiously, he lifted and angled his left, and then right, foot to have a look, soon idly wondering just when he stepped in some.

It took a few minutes for Alexis to recover from her laughing fit, after which she stepped closer to Starscream. Laying one hand casually on his chest, she said cheerily, "It's been a long time since we've had that much fun."

He smiled, brushing lightly at the splotch of paint running down the side of her face. "You are crazy, you know that?"

Alexis looked down at the near-solid line of color running across her stomach with a silly grin. "Look who's talking," she teased with a mockingly-angry note. A second later, she reached out, grasping him by one arm. "Now come on. Let's get cleaned up."

Starscream responded with an equally-silly grin and a single statement that had Alexis swatting playfully at his chest. "That could be fun too…"

* * *

There was not even the slightest hint of trouble for the rest of the day. Come nightfall, Optimus didn't know whether to be relieved or deeply concerned by this, but he instructed his men to be on high alert for the entire evening.

Those in the camp had just begun to turn in the night when the sound of an almost-distant explosion boomed across the tundra. Even as he fought back panic over the cause of the commotion, Optimus, who'd been preparing for every contingency, was quick to order Ironhide to evacuate the humans back to Ocean City for their safety.

Moments later, Optimus and the remainder of his troops were racing across the frozen landscape in their respective vehicle modes. As they neared the dig site, the sounds of battle began to reach them. The Omnicons may be built for mining, but that didn't mean they couldn't hold their own in a fight.

The last thing that Optimus had expected to see, upon arriving at the scene, was for Scorpinok to be the one who was leading the charge. But it sure looked like that was the case, given that the latter was directing the Terrorcons who were battling their way into the tunnels. In addition, Tidal Wave, Demolisher, and an unfamiliar mech (though Optimus tentatively guessed it had to be Cyclonus given the cackling laughter) seemed to be looking to Scorpinok for direction.

Drawing his rifle in preparation to enter the fray, Optimus still took heart that there was no sign of Megatron. Yet, even as the battle commenced, the Autobot commander felt a small twinge of worry that Sideways might also be present, even as he wildly thought, _Why would Megatron's troops be in Scorpinok's service?!_

* * *

Anyone who could have seen a certain family as they were turning in for the evening might have said that the two jets and their furry little child made for quite a cute picture. Both Starscream and Alexis had removed their specialized weapons prior to lying down. This allowed Starscream to lie on his side for a change, with his arm draped lovingly around Alexis to hold her close to him. Starxis was nestled comfortably on Starscream's upper arm, content that his adopted father would not be shifting position at any time throughout the night.

The three of them had been sleeping for perhaps twenty minutes when Starxis' green eyes suddenly snapped open in the darkness, wide as could be with alarm. In the next instant, he began moving swiftly over to the nearby nightstand, screeching for all he was worth.

Starscream and Alexis had barely been roused when the very room they were in shook violently, coinciding with a loud bang just outside in the hallway. After a tenuous second or two of incomprehension, Starscream abruptly began moving, scrambling off the bed and frantically reaching for his sword. At the same time, Alexis turned her gaze to Starxis, her wild thoughts telling him to get out of harm's way.

Alexis didn't stop to watch where her adopted child went to; it simply reassured her that he took off running with a scared chirp. Moving swiftly, she too got to her feet, going for her own weapon.

Armed or not, Alexis still froze for an instant when the sounds of clashing swords reached her from the doorway and she turned to see Starscream engaged in combat with the last (and worst) mech she'd ever have expected.

Megatron.

The siege had been initiated so quickly that neither jet was fully prepared for it. That being the case, it didn't take much for the Decepticon leader to get the better of his opponent, tossing Starscream effortlessly across the room so that the red and white jet landed awkwardly against the mattress.

Fortunately, this single act broke Alexis from her stupor, and she raised her quarterstaff, taking a step forward and sending a telepathic message to Starscream that it was still two against one. By working together, they had every chance of getting through this.

With that thought in mind, she charged towards Megatron, though it hardly surprised her when he countered the swing she took at him and simultaneously knocked her back across the room until she collided with the far wall. Outnumbered or not, the Decepticon leader was still quite skilled; Alexis hadn't expected this to be easy, but odds were good that she and Starscream combined would still triumph over him.

Seeing the jet she loved was fighting Megatron and heartened by the fact that Starscream was more effectively holding his own, Alexis regained her composure and started forward once more, raising her weapon to strike.

Just before she reached Megatron, however, Alexis was startled when she met with some unexpected resistance. She blinked, trying to make sense of the fact that her quarterstaff's forward motion had been halted even though there was nothing there. A millisecond later, she was caught off guard to be shoved backwards once more, throwing her very much off balance.

Alexis didn't even have time to recover before she both felt and heard something whistle by her, and an unseen hand gripped her from behind by one shoulder. A second later, Alexis completely froze, as she felt the unmistakable sharpness of a blade pressed lightly but threateningly against her throat.

She didn't know if Sideways shimmered into view or not, but she was leaning towards the former when he loudly called out Starscream's name to grab the attention of her fellow jet. For an instant, Starscream's optics were blazing with fury when he gazed in Sideways' direction; the red and white jet was even poised to deliver a devastating blow to Megatron. It died when the full situation hit him.

Megatron didn't give Starscream even the slightest chance to react, as he roughly shoved the jet's sword so it was pointed away from him. Megatron then surged forward, nailing Starscream square in the face with a punch that sent his opponent sprawling awkwardly across the bed behind him.

The two subsequent point-blank shots that Megatron fired at Starscream's chest had Alexis jerking involuntarily in Sideways' grip. Later on, she would be surprised that she wasn't cut by the sword at her throat. "No!" she cried out, causing Megatron to glance at her with infuriatingly amused optics.

Megatron cast one last glance at Starscream, idly saying, "Seems the only time you ever stood a chance against me was when you carried an insane amount of hatred. Too bad you didn't have that on your side this evening." Megatron paused for the briefest of moments, then added, with a slight chuckle, "Goodbye, Starscream…"

Alexis gulped, preparing herself to run to her fellow jet's side as soon as Megatron and Sideways departed. A second later, she was sorely disappointed, as the Decepticon leader made it clear, in response to the look in her optics, that they were taking her with them.

Alexis couldn't move for an instant after hearing this, then she began bucking wildly in Sideways' grip even as his arms snaked around her to get a better hold. Though she fought for all she was worth, she realized it was fruitless when her captors moved to vacate the house with her in tow.

* * *

Shortly after Megatron and Sideways had absconded with Alexis, Starxis ventured, shivering wildly, out from his hiding spot inside the closet. Though the youngling was very scared, he still made his way up onto the bed were Starscream was sprawled.

For a few moments, Starxis could only nudge his adopted father's face periodically, hoping beyond hope that such an act would sufficiently rouse the jet. When it didn't provide results, Starxis wandered down to Starscream's right arm, and it took some effort on the youngling's part to open up a very needed panel.

Once that was accomplished, Starxis pressed the small button located within with his snout, giving a heartened chirp when he heard the buzz of static that indicated his efforts hadn't been wasted. Lowering his head towards the speaker just above this button, Starxis said simply, "Help."

After a few seconds, a questioning voice sounded through the speaker. Starxis ignored the inquiry as to who was speaking, answering simply by repeating his demand. "Please, help…"

* * *

_This is so not where I want to be_, Alexis thought with a sense of dread, even as she struggled ineffectively against the organic cuffs that were binding her, facedown, against some sort of biological slab. Near as she could tell, she was somewhere inside Unicron, and Megatron and Sideways were simply milling around, making preparations for something or other.

Even though she knew that she was probably wasting her breath, Alexis twisted her head down and to the right so that she could see the Decepticon leader. "Let me out of here!" she said heatedly.

Megatron answered with a cruel smile, though he did step closer to the slab so she could see him better. Even as he ironically questioned just why he would want to do that, he reached down, touching her shoulder in an oddly-affectionate way that served to rile her further.

Through gritted teeth, she said, "Whatever you're planning, Starscream, Optimus, and the others will make you pay for it."

Megatron shifted his weight, his smile not diminishing in the slightest. "Oh, I think you'll find that you have that backwards, my dear. Not that you'll realize it once we're through."

Alexis blinked, a sense of dread slowly welling up inside her. Vaguely, she realized that Sideways was coming to stand on the other side of the slab, but she kept her focus on Megatron. "What…?" she started, only to have the Decepticon commander cut her off.

With a dry chuckle, Megatron said simply, "It's not unheard of for the memory of a Transformer to be tampered with and replaced with a false set of information. In many ways, such a process is more effective in aligning soldiers in the enemy camp than if they merely agreed to be spies." Megatron paused momentarily, seeming to delight in the panicked look that came to her optics at this implication. "And it just so happens that our friend, Sideways, here is quite the master at rewriting memories." Without letting her respond, Megatron leaned closer, saying simply, "Welcome to the Decepticon team, dear girl. You'll make for quite an interesting addition."

After a second, Alexis began fighting anew, pulling wildly at her cuffs and growing ever infuriated when she heard Megatron getting a good laugh at her expense. A moment later, she found herself being forcefully held down by the Decepticon commander and Sideways both; the latter thumbed open a panel at the back of her neck.

An instant later, Alexis could feel her systems powering down, and she realized immediately that she was being temporarily taken offline while Sideways rewrote her entire life. Wishing more than ever that she could at least cry, Alexis had time only for one thought before she lost consciousness.

_Starscream… Help me…_

* * *

_Next up: Demolisher makes a difficult choice. (And for those of you who may be wondering, he did not know what Megatron was going to do.)_


	19. Broken Allegiances

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Disclaimer: Don't own em; Hasbro does.

Author's notes: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. It has been very much appreciated.

To ShivaVixen -- no offense, but I couldn't see Megatron calling her Sky Dancer either; for one thing, he wasn't told that that was the name she was given. Hope you enjoy the story either way.

That aside, I do have a brand new poll going that I hope many of you will take part in; there are two correct answers to this one. It won't be long (another two chapters) before it's revealed, but it would be fun to guess at it and see if you're right.

And now, on with the show.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

As puzzled as Optimus was by the circumstances surrounding this latest raid, it was nothing compared the confusion generated when Scorpinok (who'd been watching the battlefield from the air) suddenly ordered a retreat. According to the Omnicons who had been barricaded inside the mines, the Terrorcons had broken off their assault at the same instant, even though they had collected next to none of the Energon. And Tidal Wave, though he didn't cease firing, soon took Demolisher and Cyclonus in hand and took to the skies after Scorpinok.

Ironhide watched them depart in silence, scratching at his head. "Okay, what's going on?" he asked after a long moment.

Optimus took a few moments to answer, beginning to realize just why this entire battle, and the circumstances surrounding it, had felt so wrong. "Megatron must still be in play," he said with widened optics. "This was just a diversion… He wanted to make sure our attention would be focused here."

Hearing this, Scavenger wasted no time before activating his comlink, broadcasting a message to Jetfire (who he was sure would be on surveillance duty at this hour). Once the situation had been laid out, Scavenger asked, "Are any of the other cities in trouble?"

There was a slight pause before Jetfire responded with, "No, they're all okay."

For a couple seconds, all that Optimus, Ironhide, and Scavenger could do was exchange bewildered glances. All their questions were partially answered when Jetfire's voice sounded once more over the coms.

"Hold on, I've just been informed that we're getting a strange transmission." There was a slight pause as if Jetfire were skimming over said information, then he continued with, "Oh, no! Optimus, you've got to get back here, stat…"

* * *

Seated at a hi-tech terminal that had been linked into the girl's mainframe, Sideways was diligently typing away, being quite creative when it came to reinventing her identity. During a short break, he told Megatron, "I'm almost done… When she wakes up, she won't remember a thing about who she was. Just so you know, I used her true memories as a sort of template. That way, she'll retain all the fighting knowledge she's learned thus far. But, as far as she's concerned, she didn't learn any of it from whichever Autobots taught her."

Megatron offered a small grin. "Excellent… This little endeavor of ours couldn't have gone better, Sideways." He shifted his weight, deciding to tackle something that had been on his mind. "And I have to say I was hoping you might decide to stick around. I could use someone like you on my team."

Sideways hesitated, looking up at Megatron with an unreadable expression. After a short silence, he said, in all earnestness, "I am not one of your cronies, Megatron. The first time I was a part of your team was just an act, to allow Unicron to get what he was after. I am not, and will not once more pretend to be so, a subservient lapdog… If you're really serious about this, then know that I will not be treated as anything other than an equal."

Megatron nodded, much to his companion's surprise. "I wouldn't dream of it, Sideways… Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think. Do you honestly believe I would risk losing a potentially valuable ally over something so trivial?" Megatron paused, chuckling lightly. "As a matter of fact, I offer you the same terms that Unicron did. In exchange for your service, I am willing to help you settle an old score."

With that said, Megatron turned to focus on the femme, reaching out with one hand to softly stroke the russet filaments at her head. "You said she'd remember nothing when she wakes up… Perhaps you'd tell me what to expect."

Sideways tilted his head to one side, his curiosity roused slightly by Megatron's behavior. He was not accustomed to the Decepticon commander being so agreeable. _Could there be more to brainwashing this girl than simply getting to Optimus?_ Sideways wondered.

Aloud, Sideways said, shaking off the thought, "It would be better if you have her in an infirmary-type setting for when she comes to. She'll think that she was badly injured in a battle against the Autobots… One thing to also keep in mind is that she'll be quite disoriented at first. Such a thing is common in those who have had a false identity established. The more you talk to her in support of her new memories, the more she'll come to accept them as real."

Sideways paused briefly, then added, "She also won't remember she was once human. She'll believe that she's always been a Transformer, and a loyal Decepticon at that."

Megatron grinned. "Excellent," he said softly. "And you've given her the new name we've discussed?"

Sideways nodded, throwing a glance in the femme's direction. To confirm the fact, he said it aloud. "Storm Bringer…"

* * *

Once he arrived at the oversized house on the mainland and saw the gaping, jagged hole that had been blown into part of the second story, Optimus had a whole array of terrible thoughts running through his head. Fearing what he might find, the Autobot commander took his time trudging up the concrete staircase and crossing the hall to the bedroom, where he could hear Red Alert at work.

The medic looked up as Optimus entered, looking just as weary as the latter felt. Red Alert leaned back with a sigh, turning a troubled gaze towards Starscream. "He's stabilized for now," Red Alert said. "But I'd need to get him back to the infirmary to completely repair the damage." A slight pause, and then, "It's a good thing that Starxis got word out to us as soon as he did. I don't know how long Starscream otherwise would have had before his systems completely gave out."

Optimus' gaze traveled to the youngling, who was curled up on the nightstand and looking quite sad. "What happened here?" Optimus asked solemnly, looking around. "And… Alexis?"

Starxis lifted his head. "Sideways and Megatron teamed," he chirped out in a surprisingly mournful tone. "Took Mommy."

Optimus recoiled, his mind reeling. Tilting his head downwards a notch, he whispered, "That's not possible."

Starxis lowered his head once more to rest on his paws, saying simply, "Not lying."

Optimus had many questions flooding through his mind, but was forced to push them aside when Red Alert demanded his attention, saying that he'd need help in transporting Starscream back to Ocean City.

By the time that Red Alert had disappeared into the med-bay with the injured jet, word of the attack had reached every Autobot in Ocean City. All of Alexis and Starscream's closest friends were currently gathered in the observation room overlooking the surgical center of the med-bay. Starscream's injuries were severe enough that it required that several of his vital circuit boards be replaced.

Blinking sleepiness from his eyes, Kicker turned to face Optimus, one of his hands resting against the observation window. The teenager was the first to voice one of the questions that had been on everyone's thoughts, once they'd been told of the situation. "How could this happen? How on Earth did Megatron and Sideways get to be buds?!"

Optimus sighed deeply. "I wish I knew." He paused, rubbing at his face. "I shouldn't have put Starscream and Alexis at such risk."

"Don't go there, sir," Scavenger said gruffly. "You couldn't have known what would happen… None of us could."

Hot Shot nodded. "What's important now is that we find a way to fix this," he said heatedly. "And show Megatron that he's not going to get away with taking one of our own!"

Optimus bowed his head, saying quietly, "First things first, Hot Shot." He turned to look through the window, feeling an unexpected ache once he got the red and white jet in his sights. "I hate to say this, but, knowing Starscream, we just might have to restrain him before he wakes up. I have a bad feeling he's going to go ballistic when we tell him…"

* * *

Per Megatron's request, Sideways went to pay a visit to his new teammates to get them prepared for the new addition to the group. It was a good thing he had decided to utilize his intangible state when he appeared before them, as evidenced by Demolisher's reaction.

Sideways smirked beneath his faceplate, turning to view the fresh char mark on the wall behind him and vaguely aware that Cyclonus was offering an explanation for the hard-edged bot's benefit.

Sideways turned back just as Cyclonus was asking, in a highly amused tone, "To what do we owe the honor of your presence, Sideways? Decide it might actually be fun to pester us?"

As a means of quickly cutting through any misconceptions, Sideways stepped forward, turning solid just long enough to deliver a hard punch to Cyclonus' face. When this caused Demolisher to attempt to shoot him once more, Sideways turned towards the bot in question and wryly said, "I don't think Megatron's going to appreciate you blowing holes in the ship like this, but if you want to keep it up, be my guest… And for your information, I'm here under your leader's -- or should I say, **our **leader's orders."

Sideways almost laughed at the comical reactions this statement got from Demolisher, Cyclonus, and even Tidal Wave. Nevertheless, he went on to say, "I'm here to deliver an important message from Megatron. Besides myself, you'll all be getting a new teammate…"

She awoke in a daze, her optics rapidly blinking on and off for several seconds as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. When at last she was able to keep them lit, she slowly turned her head from side to side, simply studying the ceiling as though she were trying to make it look familiar.

It was only when she heard a voice sound out from her left that she realized there was someone holding her hand. Disjointedly, she turned her gaze downwards, examining the large black fingers wrapped around her small azure ones.

"Storm Bringer?" the voice said again, causing her gaze to travel on to put a face to it. The instant her optics landed on him, she could see the expression of the mech before her melt into something like relief. "Thank Primus," he said in a soft tone, reaching out with his free hand to stroke her head. "You have no idea how scared I was that you wouldn't recover."

It took her a moment to speak, her face reflecting how confused she felt. "Where am I?" she asked.

Quietly, he said, "We're back on the ship, in the med-bay." There was a slight pause, in which she noted that he was watching her with such concern that she was oddly comforted. "Do you…?" he started, only to break off and begin again. "Do you remember taking a hit to one of your engines and crashing into the ocean?" he said hesitantly; she got the impression he was trying not to upset her.

She turned her optics downwards, staring, unfocused, towards the far wall while she tried to recall. Even as she began to vaguely recollect what he was talking about, she said, "I… guess so."

Something in her words must have bothered him, for he gently turned her face to look back at him. "Storm Bringer… Do you know who I am?"

She had to think about this for a long while before tentatively coming up with a name. "M… Megatron?"

He nodded solemnly, saying, "My poor girl… Being in the water, even for a short time, must have affected your memory chips." He began to stroke her head again. "Don't you worry. I'm going to see to it that you get better."

Though she was still quite confused, she couldn't help but want to offer this kind mech before her a reassuring smile. "You said my name's Storm Bringer?"

Megatron nodded again, following it up with, "One of my most trusted lieutenants." A pause, then, "Don't be afraid to ask questions, my dear. It may help you fill in the blanks faster than if you were left to your own devices…"

* * *

As Optimus had predicted, Starscream did get quite riled up when he was told that Megatron had taken Alexis. As the Autobots watched him (the majority of them unflinchingly), the jet was violently pulling at the restraints that were binding him to the med-bay slab and demanding that they let him go.

It was Starxis who was able to finally calm Starscream down. The youngling merely hovered before his adopted father's face for several moments until Starscream came to fully focus on the little guy. Seeing that he had the jet's undivided attention, Starxis said, in a mournful tone, "Sorry couldn't save Mommy."

Starscream froze for a moment, then it seemed as if something broke inside him. Looking defeated and grief-stricken, he collapsed back onto the bunk, all the fight taken out of him. Still, he said softly, "We have to get her back."

Optimus took a step forward, adamantly saying, "We will, Starscream!" Oblivious that his unyielding tone drew curious stares from several of his men, he said, "Primus willing, it may only take a matter of days, but I promise that we will save her…"

* * *

After several hours of answering any question she could come up with, Megatron had regrettably told Storm Bringer that he had other matters to tend to and had advised her to try to get some rest in his absence. After several long moments of trying to do so with no success, she decided she was too worked up at this point.

Carefully, she rose from the bunk, slightly startled as she did so when a strange raspy voice sounded in her head. _Alexis,_ it said, causing her to stumble slightly; it was so unexpected. She shook her head to clear it, then gave a short, slightly crazed laugh when it came again. _Can you hear me?_

Storm Bringer raised one hand to rest her forehead against. "Great," she said in a near-whisper. "Now I know my CPU is fried if I'm hearing things." Though she briefly puzzled over this name, Alexis, she pushed it, and the recurring voice, to the back of her mind, doing her best to ignore both.

Letting out a breath, she reached for the weapon resting against the side of the berth that Megatron had said was hers. Tentatively, she lifted it up, slipping her hands through the niches and simply holding it steady as she tried to glean a feeling of familiarity.

The voice that was still sounding in the back of her mind was soon drowned out, as Storm Bringer began to move as if in a trance. Even if she wasn't fully aware of it, some memory had been opened as if it were a floodgate. For several minutes, she began twisting this way and that, deftly avoiding crashing into the berth as she swung her winged weapon around as though she were fighting some unseen enemy.

Eventually, her thoughts caught up with her actions, causing her to halt in mid-swing. Fighting to catch her breath and cool her overheating systems, Storm Bringer stared at the empty air with wide optics. _Did I really do that? _she wondered.

It was unclear how long she might have stood there, astonished, had the sound of applause not reached her from the entrance to the infirmary. Blinking, Storm Bringer turned to see Megatron watching her with a wide smile. "Bravo," he said, stepping further into the room even as she slowly lowered her weapon. "You're recovering your memory better and faster than I'd anticipated."

She offered him a timid smile and answered shyly, "At least one of us is sure." She relaxed her stance, turning towards him. "I… don't how I did that."

A look of puzzlement crossed his face, but only for a moment. Megatron stepped closer, reaching out to touch her arm in a way that warmed her. "Reflex," he answered in a pleasant tone. "It seems your know-how is coming back faster than the actual memories." He gave a short laugh, continuing with, "At this rate, we'll have you back on your feet and returning to the battlefield in no time."

Storm Bringer hesitated, looking downwards and feeling an unexpected surge of pride at the assessment. After a moment, she tilted her winged weapon at an angle that would allow her to see the twin purple symbols that were painted on it. In an almost inaudible murmur, she said simply, "Where I belong…"

* * *

Her first feelings of unease, since awakening, came when Megatron mentioned that her fellow soldiers had been worried and/or asking about her and took Storm Bringer to the bridge to meet with them per her request, that very evening. As her memory was still fuzzy, he had even been kind enough to provide her with names and visuals, after which she vaguely recalled fighting alongside each of her comrades.

Seconds after she'd stepped through the doorway, five sets of optics swiveled in her direction. Quickly, Storm Bringer put on a smile meant to put them at ease, preparing herself to welcome any relieved comments thrown her way. So, it came as something of a surprise when silence ensued. As the seconds ticked by, she was further startled to see signs of tension in three of the five who were watching her: Cyclonus, Demolisher, and Scorpinok.

Behind her, Megatron laughed, breaking the uncomfortable silence as he stepped forward and rested his hands, almost reverently, on Storm Bringer's shoulders. With a note of humor in his tone, he said, "Surely, you can't all be at a loss for words… How about saying you're glad to see that our girl here is all better?"

Cyclonus very much wanted to offer the femme (who'd instigated the events leading to his reformatting) an endless array of insults. But, the fresh memory of the threat that had been delivered from his commander via Sideways kept him quiet on that point. With great difficulty, he pasted on a smile and said, in a forcibly relaxed tone, "Welcome back."

When no one else said anything, Sideways rose to his feet and stepped forward, catching Storm Bringer's attention. "Don't mind them," he said, having quickly come up with something creative to explain away the tension. "They're just mad because they lost the bet on how long it would take you to leave the med-bay." He turned to look at each of his companions in turn, his gaze lingering on Tidal Wave for a moment when he saw the big guy also looked agitated for some odd reason. "Time to get over it, and pay up."

Megatron interceded with, "Don't be rude, Sideways. You can collect your bounty later." He maneuvered so he was standing to Storm Bringer's right, though his hands didn't leave her shoulders. For a moment, he let his optics rove to each of his men in turn; he too was puzzled by Tidal Wave's reaction and spent a few seconds pondering just what the colossal bot might have against her.

Then, his gaze went to Scorpinok, and Megatron's curiosity was piqued even more. The Decepticon commander had to remind himself that he didn't know his new recruit very well; perhaps Scorpinok had reasons to look slightly disapproving of this development.

Aloud, Megatron said, "Well, unless someone else has something they'd like to say, then I'll be taking Storm Bringer back to the infirmary so she can rest."

Storm Bringer let her gaze wander once more among the group, giving a pleasant smile. "It was nice to see you all again," she said, and was disappointed when this failed to get any response.

As soon as Megatron accompanied her from the bridge, Storm Bringer turned her head to look at him. "Tough crowd," she commented lightly, feeling uneasy. _That was a lot of friction for a lost bet…_

Megatron gave a reassuring laugh, stopping in his tracks and maneuvering so they were facing each other. Reaching out, he tilted her head up with one finger placed under her chin until her gaze met his. "Don't you worry. I'll have a talk with them and make sure they're more polite next time."

Storm Bringer blinked, her curiosity roused by the glint in his optics. She tried to recall if she'd ever seen Megatron this considerate, but came up empty. All her memories told her that he had, up until now, always been detached, as well as a harsh, uncompromising leader.

As he led her back to the infirmary, she mused, _I wonder if that spill I took had quite an affect on him…_

* * *

The entire day (following Starscream's recovery) at Ocean City seemed to pass by with painstaking slowness, and the overall mood of the colony's population was one of despair. It was hard to say who was most disturbed and/or depressed by the fact that there'd been no sign of Megatron. Optimus was even praying that the Decepticon leader might stage another raid for a change; at least that would provide the Autobots with an opportunity to tail him and recover their missing comrade.

Around noontime, Starscream came across Kicker and Misha during his blind trek through the city, barely surprised to see that the latter had been crying. Shortly after this chance encounter was initiated, Starxis quietly admitted to being hungry, prompting Starscream to ask the two teenagers to aid him with feeding the little guy.

Though Starscream couldn't follow Kicker and Misha into the human-sized cafeteria, he was still able to kneel (or rather, lie) down by the doors so he could peer into the room. Misha seemed to be going through the motions when it came to opening three cans of tuna and putting together a plate for Starxis, but she seemed compelled to speak shortly after the youngling started eating.

Misha turned to look at Starscream, wiping tears from her eyes. "I know that you and Alexis have always been able to communicate telepathically… Have you been able to…?"

The pained look in his orange optics caused Misha to break off mid-sentence. "She hasn't been responding when I tried reaching her," Starscream said quietly. "I'm afraid to find out just why that is."

Kicker remained quiet for a moment, idly rubbing Starxis' head. "Don't you go assuming the worst," the teenager said adamantly. "You'll only drive yourself crazy if you do." A pause, and then, "Megatron's not going to hide forever. You just need… We all need to just stay strong until then! There is not one being in this city that is going to give up until things are set right."

The answering heartened chirp from Starxis was sufficient to bring a small smile to Starscream's face. For an instant, the jet said nothing, then answered, "Thank you, Kicker…"

* * *

The drawback of having finally gotten some sleep that afternoon meant that Storm Bringer was up and pacing in the late evening hours. After an indeterminate amount of time, she decided she was tired of trying to devise ways to entertain herself in the infirmary and soon began musing that perhaps she'd head to the bridge and seat herself in front of a monitor. Surely, there were records she could sort through to help refresh her still-foggy memory.

If anything, Storm Bringer had not expected that any of her teammates would still be up at this hour, but she was proven wrong when she saw Demolisher seated at one of the consoles, blinking in response to the lights she'd just commanded the computer to turn on. Storm Bringer stopped in her tracks, downright bewildered. It took her a moment to find her voice. "Is it a habit of yours to sit around in the dark?" she asked lightly, forcing herself to relax.

For an instant, it seemed that Demolisher could only sit there gaping at her. Misinterpreting the reason for this, Storm Bringer shrugged and said, "I know, I'm probably not supposed to be wandering around when I'm still not feeling entirely well, but…"

Demolisher let out a breath, as if put at ease by her words. "Your memory's still shot, I take it?" he said lightly, an odd note in his voice that nagged at her. Off of her uncertain look, he shook his head and added, "Never mind… I wouldn't mind some company." He offered her a small smile; after a moment, Storm Bringer went to sit across from him.

"So, what are you doing here all by your lonesome?" she asked.

Demolisher hesitated, then looked over at her. "I needed time to think," he said absently. After a second, he shook his head as if to banish any and all dark thoughts on his mind; his smile grew slightly larger. "Do you remember once asking me if I considered us to be friends?"

Storm Bringer remained silent as she searched her memory banks, and was disappointed when she came up empty. Regrettably, she shook her head, and Demolisher hesitated before saying, "Well, the answer is still, as it was then, yes… I hope that what's happened hasn't changed that." There was a long pause, then he abruptly rose to his feet, extending his hand out towards her. "Join me for a drink?"

After an instant, she reached for his hand, allowing him to help her up. However, Storm Bringer was barely on her feet when something changed in his optics. Demolisher abruptly tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her towards him in a way that threw her off balance. As she was falling forward, she didn't even have time to cry out before his free hand was suddenly cupped roughly over her mouth.

An instant later, Demolisher twisted her around, somehow managing to keep his hand over her lips and looping his right arm under her shoulder to hold her against him at an awkward angle.

Storm Bringer let out a muffled cry, ineffectively squirming against him in an attempt to free herself. In response, Demolisher gave a small grunt and hefted her more firmly into his grip, so that her feet actually left the ground.

When she felt Demolisher back up a few paces, Storm Bringer pushed aside her thoughts over what he thought he was doing and began to focus on a plan to get away from him. Desperately, she fired up her thrusters at full blast, expecting that this would effectively send them both careening towards the ceiling, though it was likely he'd take the full brunt of the collision.

She had barely registered that they hadn't budged (which could only mean that Demolisher had enabled some magnetic couplings to hold him to the floor) before her so-called friend began moving again, at a faster pace this time.

They were out in the corridor, with Demolisher maintaining a solid grip on her and making sure to stay away from the walls lest she use them to throw him off balance, before Storm Bringer powered down her thrusters, trying ineffectively to start screaming for help. Later on, she would be amazed that he was moving so quickly, and that the sound of his pounding footsteps failed to draw attention during those few tenuous minutes.

It wasn't until they reached the rear cargo bay that Storm Bringer fully realized what he was planning. As she stared towards the two airlocks at the rear of the room, each housing an emergency escape pod, Demolisher surprised her by saying, "I hope you'll forgive me for this later. But you will soon know that this is for your own good."

Storm Bringer didn't even have time to comprehend what that meant before Demolisher stood up straight, quickly shifting his right hand so that it rested against the back of her head. In the same instant, her feet met the ground, but even that didn't do her any good before Demolisher was shoving her forward, face first. A frightened scream rose to Storm Bringer's lips, but quickly died away when her head was roughly slammed, with a loud clang, into the metal counter that she and her assailant had stopped in front of.

An extraordinary amount of pain rushed through her head, leaving Storm Bringer quite dazed. And though she was vaguely aware that Demolisher finally removed his hand from her mouth, she couldn't organize her thoughts into calling for help. Helplessly, she could only watch and listen as he found a set of cuffs from somewhere to keep her confined, then went to one of the consoles and began prepping one of the escape pods to launch.

When she heard a gruff voice sound from the opposite side of the room, Storm Bringer wanted to cry with relief, thankful that the commotion hadn't gone unheard after all. "May I ask what you think you're doing, Demolisher?" Megatron asked in a downright cold tone…

* * *

Hearing that dreaded voice, the only thing that Demolisher could do was freeze in his tracks and curse his bad fortune. Another minute, and he and Alexis would surely have gotten away clean. Slowly, he turned his gaze from the control panel, though he couldn't bring himself to look Megatron straight in the optics. Under any other circumstances, he might have been able to come up with a good explanation, but, as things stood, there was nothing he could say to make this situation look any less damaging.

Curling his hands into fists at his sides, Megatron said dryly, "It's funny… You were always the last one I'd have expected to betray me, Demolisher." He turned his gaze briefly towards the girl, then moved to help her up, positioning her in a nearby chair as she was still dazed. "What happened to the soldier I could always count on to be loyal?"

Demolisher bristled at this remark, answering in a hard tone, "He's still here! He just found someone else to be loyal to!"

Megatron's optics narrowed to mere slits. Going by information previously related by Cyclonus, he knew exactly to whom Demolisher was referring. With a low growl, Megatron drew his sword, saying in his coldest tone, "Then perhaps, if you're lucky, you'll get to see him one last time before the end…"

* * *

Storm Bringer was quite relieved when she awoke in the infirmary some time later, under Megatron's watchful care. Nevertheless, she propped herself up with a startled cry, causing a look of concern to cross his face.

"Easy," Megatron said, touching her arm. "You're safe now." He paused briefly, then asked, "How's your head?"

Storm Bringer settled back onto the bunk, instinctively reaching up to touch her brow. Tentatively, she said, "Much better." She remained silent for a beat, then shifted her gaze to look at Megatron. "Demolisher… What was he doing?!"

"Shh," Megatron murmured. "You don't need to worry about him now." Though he was inwardly raging over the actions of his traitorous subordinate, the Decepticon commander didn't let it show. It bothered Megatron slightly that Demolisher had managed to escape in the pod that he'd prepped prior to being found. The only reason that Megatron hadn't taken the battleship in pursuit was because the traitor had been grievously injured; Demolisher wouldn't last very long unless he got help.

Focusing back on Storm Bringer, Megatron said simply, "For now, I just want you to concentrate on getting better. And, prepare yourself to face off against the Autobots again in a few days' time…"

* * *

As far as the Autobot elite were concerned, there were very few who were as consistently optimistic as Jetfire. But currently, he was in just as a foul mood as the rest of his comrades, and it was all he could do to focus on the security monitors he'd been assigned to watch.

_Primus_, Jetfire thought solemnly, bowing his head. _It's been almost thirty-six hours, and still nothing!_ By nature, Jetfire had never been prone to praying, but he felt compelled to offer one up now. Leaning forward over the counter, he held his hands, fingers laced together, in front of his face. "Please," he said quietly, dimming his optics. "Let us get her back safely."

After a moment, Jetfire lit his optics back up, leaning back in his seat with a deep sigh. Until his gaze wandered aimlessly to the control panel, he'd not been aware that one of the lights had been rhythmically flashing.

Jetfire blinked, uncomprehending for an instant. Then, he abruptly leaned forward and began frantically typing to pinpoint a location on what he realized was a distress beacon. In the next second, he activated his comlink, sending out a hurried, elated statement to Optimus. "Sir, you need to get up here right away! We've got something!"

* * *

In response to the distress beacon, Optimus hurriedly assembled a team consisting of himself, Red Alert, and Ironhide, after making sure that word **did not** get out to Starscream. The last thing that Optimus wanted was for the jet to get his hopes up, especially if this cry for help was completely unrelated to Alexis' situation.

Armed with grappling hook guns and a medical kit, Optimus and his two companions stepped onto the Warp Gate platform, each of them prepared to be transported to a point that was approximately five hundred yards from the beacon's point of origin. According to Jetfire, the coordinates were centered somewhere in the dead of space. With any luck, this just might mean that the one they were going to rescue was on board some sort of ship.

As Optimus had hoped, there was a vessel in sight -- an escape pod from the looks of it -- that was drifting aimlessly through the darkness. The Autobot commander quickly surveyed the surrounding area, but could see no sign of a larger ship that the pod might have come from.

Working as one, Optimus, Ironhide, and Red Alert fired their grappling hooks towards the pod, reeling themselves in once they all had found a solid anchor. Nevertheless, Optimus was the first to reach the vessel, and he was soon maneuvering his way across the hull to the single view port to have a look at the occupant or occupants.

Ironhide was coming to have a look as well, his hopes sinking, when the commander said nothing. The instant that the rookie registered who he was looking at, he blurted out a name in utter disbelief. "Demolisher!"

At Ironhide's declaration, Optimus forced himself to focus. It didn't take the commander long to see that there was a nasty rend in Demolisher's midsection, and there appeared to be some type of fluid leaking from the wound, and dangerously so. Optimus grimaced, silently musing that, worst case scenario, Demolisher could very well be bleeding to death.

"Red Alert, you need to get in there, now!" Optimus said, such vehemence in his tone that the medic didn't dare think of stopping to question him.

Even as Red Alert moved towards the hatch (and noted that a hole had been blown through the door, which meant that pressurization would not be an issue), Ironhide turned to look at Optimus in surprise. "What…?!" Ironhide started to say, only to have Optimus round on him in a fury.

"Not now, Ironhide!" Optimus barked out, hesitating a moment before turning back to gaze through the view port to watch the proceedings, all the while praying that Demolisher would pull through this…

* * *

Until he was unexpectedly called to the med-bay, Starscream, cradling a sleepy youngling in his hands, hadn't heard a word about the distress beacon or the recovery of a lost soldier. For a moment, he almost dared hope that the one he loved had been saved; it died when he saw just who awaited him.

Starscream hesitated, staring across at the groggy Demolisher and torn between confusion and outrage. Eventually, he settled on the latter. Turning towards Optimus, he said heatedly, "What is that traitor doing here?"

Roused slightly by the sound of Starscream's voice, Demolisher turned his head languidly in the jet's direction. "Not a traitor," he said weakly. "Never was."

Starscream scoffed. "Then exactly what do you call betraying us to get back into Megatron's good graces?"

Optimus bowed his head, his hands at his hips. "I think I owe everyone here an explanation," he said cryptically, drawing Starscream's attention and rousing his curiosity. After a short pause, the commander looked up again and said, "There's no reason for you to be angry, Starscream… Do you remember that day that Megatron attacked Ocean City, when we found out that Sideways was still in the game?"

Starscream snorted. "It wasn't all that long ago," he said derisively.

Optimus sighed. "That was the day that we learned through Starxis that Megatron was looking to restore Unicron to health." The commander paused, briefly dimming his optics and looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "That's what sealed an agreement on a plan of action that Demolisher and I thought was best kept under wraps." Optimus sighed again, rubbing at his face. "Demolisher agreed to operate as a spy within Megatron's camp until we could find out Unicron's location."

Starscream was taken aback by this revelation, as was Ironhide when it sank in. The jet remained speechless for so long that Demolisher was free to throw out another comment. "I failed… I didn't anticipate that Megatron would take Alexis…"

Optimus put one hand to Demolisher's shoulder to silence him, filling in the blanks by quietly saying, "Your friend here was nearly killed trying to get her out, Starscream."

Starscream nodded absently, his mind reeling for several moments. At last, he looked up at Optimus and said, "Not too long ago, you were quizzing me on how much faith I had in Demolisher…?"

Optimus bowed his head slightly, looking somewhat ashamed. "I needed to know that I hadn't made a terrible mistake," he said softly. "Demolisher had put on such a convincing show that even I had some doubts."

Demolisher turned to look at the Autobot commander. "Wasn't all a show," he managed to get out. "I really was that intimidated…" He paused, then added, "Need to tell you all, about Alexis… or Storm Bringer, as he's now calling her."

Optimus, Starscream, Ironhide, and Red Alert listened with increasingly heavy sparks as Demolisher laid it all out. It was hard to say who was most stricken by the news that their own teammate and/or loved one had been turned against them.

Optimus fought to keep it together, though he very much wanted to start screaming as a means of venting the pain he was feeling. Instead, he turned towards Starscream, quietly saying, "This doesn't change anything. Whatever it takes, we will still find a way to get her back… But, we should also be prepared for the very real possibility that we may soon have to face her in a battle…"

* * *

Next up: Storm Bringer vs. the Autobots...


	20. Face Value

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Nineteen

_Author's Notes: I should warn you all that there is a tiny bit of slash occurring in this chapter. This is a first for me, as I have never written about slash pairings before. I am not trying to weird anyone out, and I can assure you all that the relationship in question is going to be played strictly for laughs and some minor drama. It will **not **develop into anything physical._

_If you're still bothered by this, then I have only one piece of advice. Don't like it; don't read it._

_In addition, some people have commented or asked questions on why Alexis is still being referred to by her human name. My answer to this is simple -- many of the Autobots in this story are the ones who have known her only as Alexis for over a decade, and they wouldn't abandon calling her that within a three-month period. The changeover to her new name, Sky Dancer, was meant to be a gradual process._

_For what it's worth, I will say that she will be referred to more often by Sky Dancer in the third (Cybertron-based) story._

* * *

"I wish that you would have told me… Or, do you still not trust me enough after all this time?"

Optimus sighed upon hearing those words, tilting his head downwards a notch. He'd expected as much when Starscream had requested that the two of them talk in private. But, at least it was better than dwelling on what had become of Alexis, which both of them were doing their best to distract themselves from.

"This decision had nothing to do with trust," Optimus said quietly. Crossing his arms in a casual manner, he went on with, "Part of being a commander is that you're sometimes required to make difficult choices… If you knew what was going on, Starscream, it could have inadvertently put your friend in danger. You needed to believe that Demolisher had turned against us, because Megatron needed to believe it."

Starscream would have protested this, but then he recalled his actions from that day and how panicked and distraught he had been. Perhaps Optimus was right; Megatron would surely have known something was up if Starscream hadn't been acting appropriately to the situation.

Optimus sighed, continuing when Starscream remained silent. "For what it's worth, no one other than Demolisher and I knew about this until several days ago," he said, going on to tell his reasons for cluing Scavenger in. After another period of silence, Optimus said, "When you see him next, tell Demolisher I'm sorry I ever doubted him. Even if our primary goal wasn't achieved, what he tried to do for you and Alexis proves just how noble he is."

Starscream nodded, feeling an ache at the mention of his beloved. Absently, he responded with, "We'll find some other way to deal with the whole Unicron situation." Following this, he hesitated, then asked to be excused, saying he'd like to visit with his friend.

Demolisher was much more alert when Starscream arrived at his bedside in the med-bay, and there was something heartening in the fact that he raised one hand to knock fists with his friend. Starscream was soon seating himself next to the berth, unconsciously petting the still-sleeping youngling in his hand. "How are you feeling?" Starscream asked.

A slight grimace crossed Demolisher's face. "Starting to know how you felt, getting on Megatron's bad side so often. I wasn't back with the Decepticons for that long and suffered more abuse than anyone should have a right to…" The hard-edged bot hesitated, shifting his gaze to stare blankly at the ceiling. "Well, maybe that's a bad choice of words. The way things are going, I think you'd be very hard-pressed to even find a good side… I'd be quite surprised if Cyclonus doesn't defect back to our side in a matter of days," Demolisher said, going on to clarify what had become of their eccentric comrade.

After a period of silence, Demolisher abruptly began chuckling, causing Starscream to regard him dubiously. With a note of humor, the former said, "I miss the days when all we had to worry about was the human extremists who didn't want the Transformers here on Earth."

Starscream had to laugh at that, saying simply, though not without a hint of melancholy, "I'll take a low-tech bomb-diffusing any day…"

* * *

"You'd better be careful, or you'll get me believing that we're starting to become friends."

Though Rodimus' expression remained blank, he responded, in a cordial tone, "Would that necessarily be a bad thing? Given what you've told me, Scorpinok, it sounds as though you and Alpha Q could use someone reliable on your side." Rodimus paused, gazing towards the planet where his companion had sent the Terrorcons; he and Scorpinok were currently standing on the hull of his ship. "Ever since our mines were established in this sector, my girls and I have, on countless occasions, had to fight off rogue Transformers who were looking to steal from us… Before you came along, I thought I'd heard every excuse imaginable."

Scorpinok remained silent for a moment, his mind briefly turning to the whole fiasco with Sideways. Though Alpha Q had very much wanted Scorpinok to not go back to the Decepticons, the latter had argued that it wouldn't be in their best interest to leave Unicron's body solely in Megatron's hands. Ultimately, Alpha Q would need both halves of the dark god's remains if he and Scorpinok were to achieve their overall goal.

Scorpinok took a moment to say as much to Rodimus, then added, after a brief pause, "I'm curious as to why you would want to help me."

A small wry smile came to Rodimus' face. Though his initial statement came off as a little vague, Scorpinok gained more and more of an understanding as the speech wore on. "I've lived a simple life ever since I abandoned Cybertron, and the war," Rodimus said. "For forty thousand earth years, ever since I saved them from a bombing run instigated by some Decepticon aerial troops, Elita and Chromia have become my whole life. Given that this was during a period where anyone who grew up on the planet would sooner or later be drafted, I felt that I would rather be known as the soldier who went AWOL than one who let these two innocents be forced into a war with no foreseeable end."

Rodimus sighed, briefly looking skyward. "Then, during my early travels, I saved a group of Omnicons who were under attack from some roving marauders -- not Transformers, just some greedy aliens who had their own use for Energon… As a sign of gratitude, the Omnicons offered me a way to make my way as a merchant. Using the specialized equipment they gave me, I was able to locate and safely mine from Energon deposits… I've been trading to remote Transformer colonies ever since in exchange for whatever goods or technologies they could offer me." He looked down at the ship on which they were standing. "That's what, over time, created this very shuttle."

Scorpinok nodded thoughtfully, beginning to see where Rodimus was going with this. Still, he said, with a hint of uncertainty, "Helping Alpha Q and I achieve our goal would ultimately benefit you…?"

Rodimus nodded. "If your sovereign can pull off what he says he can, then I imagine that even the Autobots on Earth would be able to forgive you for past misdeeds."

Scorpinok remained silent for a moment, mulling this over before saying, "Perhaps you're right… But maybe I could get started on setting things right sooner rather than later." He looked up at Rodimus, tentatively saying, "I don't know what all technologies you have access to, but perhaps you could do me a favor…"

* * *

Tensions were running even higher amongst the Decepticons the next morning when Megatron told his remaining troops of Demolisher's betrayal. After a short time, Storm Bringer decided that the mood aboard the battleship was getting too stifling, and she asked Megatron if they might step outside to get some fresh air, in a manner of speaking.

She spent a few moments watching the stars in peace before turning to regard the Decepticon leader at her side. Casually, she said, "I don't remember there ever being such turmoil amongst the team." Storm Bringer paused, then asked, "Was there some sort of falling out that I don't know about, or haven't recalled yet?"

Megatron looked back at her, a trace of concern in his optics, and softly said, "I'd forgotten you hadn't been with us for very long, before Unicron made himself known. But dissent has always been a common theme among the Decepticons." He gave a short, ironic laugh. "If anything, I know that Cyclonus is still pretty sore about having his flight abilities taken away. As for Demolisher… I can't say that I know what happened."

Megatron remained silent for a beat, then said wistfully, "Ten years is a long time, even for a Transformer. I suppose I shouldn't have expected to get back my old soldiers exactly as I left them."

Storm Bringer lightly bit her lip, hesitating for a long moment. She had never before seen this (vulnerable?) side of him, at least not that she recalled. Timidly, she asked, "And what of me? Am I how you remember?" In the next instant, she was ironically thinking, _When in Primus' name did I get to be this shy?_

Megatron sighed, his expression becoming unreadable. "I'd like to think so… One of the first things that struck me about you, Storm Bringer, is your ability to face even the most difficult challenge head on and come out on top. I don't know if you remember or not, but you were quite instrumental in carrying us all through Unicron's attempt at annihilation… I don't know very many beings with such spirit and resourcefulness as you possess."

After a moment, Storm Bringer turned towards him, an unfamiliar feeling welling up inside her. As with many of her memories, this one was also vague, but she did remember challenging Megatron on the battlefield and convincing the Decepticon commander that not allying his forces with the Autobots would mean certain death for everyone.

She remained silent and lost in thought for so long that she wasn't immediately aware that Megatron had approached her until his hands came to rest on her shoulders. Startled, Storm Bringer looked up until her optics met his; her breath caught in her throat when she saw the raw desire those blazing red orbs held for her. "You are quite the remarkable creature, my dear," Megatron said softly, in a tone that warmed her. "In the decade I was imprisoned and thought dead, I can't tell you just how often I had you coming to mind… You were one of the things I could never forget, Storm Bringer."

Her throat constricted nervously at these words, and she could only gaze up at him with her lips slightly parted. Megatron took a moment to lightly stroke her face with the back of his hand before his head lowered towards hers.

Storm Bringer dimmed her optics, a shiver coursing through her when his lips very gently brushed hers. She was disappointed when he pulled away after a few seconds; for a first kiss, it was far too brief.

She lit her optics back up so she could focus on him, then she took the initiative. Raising herself up slightly, Storm Bringer put one hand to the back of Megatron's neck, pulling him towards her until their lips met once more in a slightly deeper, longer kiss…

* * *

From a distance, Sideways watched this display, unseen, with narrowed optics. While he was angered by the notion that Megatron, to some degree, had used him, it was countered by the certainty that Optimus would still likely be burned by this development. Perhaps then, Sideways would allow Megatron to have his fun; the fallout would more than make up for the small deception.

With that in mind, Sideways turned his gaze from Megatron and Storm Bringer, intending to phase back through the hull to re-enter the ship. Yet, he drew up short when he saw a flicker of movement at the nearby window, and Sideways was even more startled when he identified Tidal Wave.

It was fortunate that the colossal Decepticon was unaware that Sideways was watching him; there was probably no other way that the latter would have seen the seething look on Tidal Wave's face. Even as he idly mused that it wasn't characteristic for the big guy to appear so angry, Sideways followed Tidal Wave's gaze back to the pair standing on the hull.

Sideways blinked, trying to work this out for a moment before coming to an almost outlandish conclusion. But, the more he thought about it, the less farfetched it seemed. Looking back at the big guy, he wryly thought, _Is Tidal Wave actually jealous?!_ After a couple seconds, Sideways chuckled lightly and mused, _I think I just found a new way to have fun…_

* * *

"It may work to our advantage that Megatron wouldn't expect me, and perhaps Starscream, to still be alive."

This latest meeting amongst the Autobots, as well as Misha and a certain human family, had been in session for roughly fifteen minutes. While many had expressed great sorrow upon learning about Storm Bringer, they had been discussing possible tactics to utilize in preparation for the next raid. This lone statement from Demolisher caused all those gathered to feel some degree of hope.

Hot Shot shifted his weight, answering with, "You were aboard this battleship for several days. Was it at least stationary the whole time?"

Demolisher shook his head. "We wouldn't be able to use the Warp Gate to travel there. I'm sorry… I suppose we could send one of our satellites to the general location."

Optimus was quick to shoot down this idea. "Megatron would destroy it on sight, before we could get it close enough to get some workable coordinates."

After a short silence, Misha spoke up from her spot on the balcony, her blue eyes wide with the excitement that usually accompanied one of her ideas. "What about a homing beacon?" When this caused everyone's attention to shift to her, she shrank slightly, her shyness taking hold. Nevertheless, she went on to say, in a gentle tone, "I mean, it worked for Demolisher."

Optimus bowed his head. "Only because Megatron didn't know to be looking for such a thing… He could anticipate whatever move we make when it comes to getting Alexis back, and he'd do whatever he could to counteract it." Optimus paused, looking towards Starscream to see how the jet was taking this. "There's no guarantee that even tagging one of the Terrorcons, which would be the most logical choice, would do us any good."

"Then what if we were to tag several of them?" Kicker threw in. "It would increase our chances of success."

Optimus bowed his head. "We could try, but don't be disappointed if Megatron, or even Scorpinok, discovers the beacon at a later point and disposes of it. Or beacons, if that be the case."

Demolisher brightened just a little. "That's right. I almost forgot about him," he said aloud. The hard-edged bot glanced around quickly at his fellow soldiers before adding, "I got the impression that relations between Megatron and Scorpinok were very strained. Yet, for some reason, our mysterious 'friend' never did attempt to make a run for it, even though Megatron offered him more than one opportunity." Demolisher paused, then added, "I'd say that Scorpinok is about as difficult to figure out as Sideways once was, maybe even more so."

"And what can you tell us about Sideways?" Jetfire asked.

Demolisher shrugged. "You'd probably know more than I do. I didn't even know he was a factor in all this until I saw him for myself. And by then, he and Megatron were in league." A pause, and then, "I don't know how they came to be so."

"What about Unicron?" Optimus said. "Did you learn anything of him?"

"Going by a conversation between Megatron and Scorpinok, I got the impression that Unicron is in a very weakened state. It even seemed to be implied that he's not the one who's running this show; Megatron seems to have found a way to control and use Unicron for his own ends."

Optimus bowed his head, blinking furiously. This had been the last thing that he'd expected to hear. Still, he was able to formulate an answer after a short silence. "This could work to our advantage. If Unicron is really that weak, then we have a great chance of taking him down. It's just a matter of finding him."

Demolisher shifted his weight. "There is something else that we might want to be concerned about. There's still a great number of Decepticon troops on Cybertron, and I'm sure that many of them would be keen to fall back under Megatron's lead. If he were to lose even one more member of the team -- say, Storm Bringer -- Megatron may be compelled to seek reinforcements."

Optimus sighed. "Then we may have to make sure he'd not be able to," the Autobot commander said with a note of weariness. He turned to look towards Dr. Jones. "Perhaps we could see about establishing a force field around Cybertron, utilizing your towers, to keep Megatron off the planet."

Dr. Jones nodded. "Anything I can do to help," he said by way of agreement.

Ironhide took a step towards Demolisher, catching his attention. "I understand why you were there the other day, with Scorpinok and the others. But did you…?"

Demolisher shook his head, cutting Ironhide off mid-sentence. "I had no idea what Megatron was planning. I was told that our attack would be a diversionary tactic, but I thought…" He paused, then gave a deep sigh and turned to look regretfully towards Starscream. "As long as I've known him, Megatron's always been a master at lies and manipulation."

Starscream remained silent to allow that to sink in, then looked over at the youngling perched on his shoulder. When Starxis answered his father's questioning thoughts with a single chirp and barely perceptible nod, Starscream turned to face the group with a surprising level of determination in his orange optics. "Then I say it's time to stop playing games, and show him just what _we're _all capable of…"

* * *

After the conclusion of the meeting, Kicker and Ironhide overheard Starscream saying that he'd be heading down to the simulation rooms to get in some practice time with his sword. Though both the teenager and Autobot rookie wanted to offer their sympathies over the situation, the jet was taking off before they could even say a word to him.

Kicker had to admit to being surprised when Ironhide offered to walk with him out in the hallway. Though they'd been assigned to work together, they hadn't spent much time socializing with each other up until now.

Letting out a deep breath, Ironhide initiated a conversation by saying, "It doesn't feel the same without Sky Dancer here. I don't think I realized just how much of a friendly atmosphere she contributed to the group."

Kicker nodded solemnly. "I know what you mean."

A short silence ensued, broken when Ironhide said, "It was a good idea you had, about placing tracking devices on several of the Terrorcons. It's too bad it might not help us."

Kicker stopped in his tracks so suddenly that it made Ironhide turn to look at him with wide optics. The teenager was soon looking up at his partner with a new level of excitement. "Who's to say it won't?" Kicker said fervently. "How do we know unless we try?"

Ironhide tried to offer a protest, but Kicker wouldn't have it. "Look, the three of us made a promise that we would look out for each other. Given the choice, Alexis or Sky Dancer or whatever you want to call her would do the same for us, especially if Starscream's plan doesn't work." Kicker paused, then added, "What do you say, big guy? Ready to do whatever it takes to help our missing partner?"

Despite himself, Ironhide grinned in response, caught up in the rush of the teenager's enthusiasm. "You bet…"

* * *

Prior to leading his troops into battle, Megatron gathered them all together to give something of a pep talk. Even Cyclonus was starting to get jazzed, at least until his leader made a comment that perhaps his name didn't fit with the new form he had been given and suggested it be changed as well.

If Megatron did notice the derisive look that Cyclonus gave him, he did a good job of ignoring it. Turning to the femme at his side, the Decepticon leader said, "Storm Bringer, I want you near me at all times. Aside from not wanting to see you hurt again, it would deter any of the Autobots from trying anything funny… You should especially watch out for our old friend, Starscream, in the case that he's present."

Storm Bringer nodded, a warm feeling washing over her at the thought of Megatron being so concerned for her welfare. _Who knew that deep down, he was such a softy?_ she mused, a very faint smile playing at her lips. "I will," she said aloud.

Megatron smiled in response, then turned to look at each of his soldiers, giving some last minute instructions on what or what not to do once they were out there. With that accomplished, he fervently gave the order to move out…

* * *

Once the report came in from the Omnicons at Jungle City that they were under siege, Optimus would later swear that his team had never been assembled faster. As their commander thought, it was a sure sign of how much each and every one of them cared for Alexis and just how determined they were for an opportunity to get her away from Megatron.

As he suspected that Megatron had chosen this colony specifically because it was surrounded on all sides by a dense jungle, Optimus was quick to lay down some ground rules, both to instruct Ironhide and Kicker as well as to remind his more seasoned troops to stay on alert and not get carried away. After informing Hot Shot, Jetfire, and Scavenger as to who they should each be focusing on and telling Kicker to keep them informed at all times on Sideways' whereabouts, Optimus turned his attention towards Starscream and Demolisher.

"As you said, Demolisher," Optimus stated in a semi-rushed tone, acutely aware that the soldiers behind him were beginning to warp out to Jungle City. "Odds are great that Megatron expects you to be dead. You can use both that and the environment to your advantage to catch him off guard, especially if we get him down to ground level."

Optimus shifted his weight, gazing towards the jet with a deadly serious look in his optics. "I hope you're ready for this."

Starscream's face hardened with an equally serious look, and he nodded towards the youngling perched on his shoulder. "We both are…"

* * *

Seconds after he'd been transported, Starscream mentally ordered Starxis to get down onto the ground and use the foliage as much as possible to stay hidden. The youngling had been lucky up until now that Megatron hadn't seen him. Given his unpredictable behavior these days, there was no telling what the Decepticon leader might do if he spotted the creature that had, once upon a time, blinded him.

Holding his wing sword at the ready, Starscream began moving cautiously through the jungle, paying scant attention to the heavy droplets of water from a recent tropical storm that was soaking his armor. Intently, he watched the skies as he moved, using his free hand to feel his way around, searching for any sign of Megatron and/or his beloved.

In any case, Starscream was not fully prepared to see Megatron and Storm Bringer (he couldn't think of her as Alexis, or he'd never get through this) hovering in mid-air near the colony, side by side. After a couple seconds, Starscream looked towards the ground, unsure of just where Starxis was though he was sure that the youngling had been keeping pace with him. "She's right above us," the jet said in low, hushed tones. "Can you reach her, Starxis?"

The primary reason that Starscream had wanted the youngling present on this mission had been due to Starxis' telepathic abilities. He had been unsure just how much power the little guy possessed or even if he'd be able to help revive his mother's true memories, but Starxis had wanted to at least try.

There was a short silence before a dejected chirpy voice sounded from beneath the shrubbery. "Can't unblock neural pathways. Need technology to fix."

Starscream sighed, looking over at Demolisher, who been keeping close behind him. "That's okay, Starxis," he answered. "At least you tried." To his friend, Starscream added, "Ready for Plan B?"

Demolisher nodded, turning his gaze skyward even as he drew a handheld launcher from one of his compartments. "Let's do it…"

* * *

If not for the fact that Jetfire had radioed him to say that he needed some help against Tidal Wave, Optimus would have been right at Starscream's side when he and Demolisher launched their own attack against Megatron. But, it was imperative that each of Megatron's soldiers be kept busy, or Starscream would not have a chance to pull off what he hoped to do.

Currently, Optimus was making his way to the top of the man-made ruins near the city. It wasn't much in the way of elevation, but at least it was still sturdy and would allow him a clear shot at the colossal Decepticon.

In the midst of this fight, Optimus activated his comlink and asked Kicker for an update on Sideways' location.

"He's inside the city, with Scorpinok and the Terrorcons," came Kicker's reply. "They're working together to fight their way down into the mines."

Optimus hesitated, then answered, "Tell the Omnicons that they need to back off. Sideways would likely kill them all without so much as a scratch in return."

"But, the Energon…" Kicker started to protest.

"Is not as important as the lives that could otherwise be lost," Optimus cut in heatedly. "Just do what I'm asking you to, Kicker."

Hidden within an alcove just opposite the colony's main entrance, Kicker sighed and gave a verbal acknowledgment of Optimus' terms, exchanging a look with Ironhide. Quickly, the teenager relayed the message to the Omnicons, then turned to gaze at his partner. "Are you ready?"

Ironhide held the tranquilizer-style gun, pre-loaded with at least five tracking beacon darts, he'd brought with him up against his chest as an indication. The gun was high-powered enough that it was likely that the beacons would wind up planted underneath the chassis of whichever Terrorcons they marked. With any luck, the jaguar bots would not think much of the "stinging" pain, and Megatron would not locate the devices until it was too late.

"Okay," Kicker said, taking a deep calming breath. "Then just stay sharp, big guy. When the time's right, we need to be quick…"

* * *

Until they'd reached the mines and Scorpinok ordered the Terrorcons to fan out and begin collecting their bounty, the former hadn't been given any cause to worry. Scorpinok was relatively sure that none of the predatory bots had been taken out on the way down here, but he did a very quick head count of the metallic jaguars as they began to race by him.

At first, Scorpinok couldn't comprehend just why he was counting five extra than had been brought along, but it took him mere seconds to work out a possible answer. The jungle outside was so dense that no one would have readily noticed if a certain spindly bot had sent his own small group to blend in with Megatron's forces.

Scorpinok threw a glance towards Sideways, then bowed his head, speaking tersely underneath his breath. "Slag it, Alpha Q! I didn't give you a fraction of the Terrorcons so that you could send them here! What in the world were you thinking?!"

The communication screen in Scorpinok's visor showed signs that it was being activated, causing him to bow his head further and angrily hiss, "Don't answer that!"

* * *

For the most part, Megatron was pleased to see that he and Storm Bringer would apparently not have to play an active role in this battle/raid. Each of his soldiers was effectively holding their own. Even Cyclonus seemed to be in top form; as incensed as the eccentric bot may be given what he'd been put through, nothing got him in good spirits more than being on the battlefield.

However, all of Megatron's beliefs towards his non-participation went out the window when he caught sight of something soaring out from underneath the canopy. It was soon accompanied by a familiar, slightly grating voice yelling out the name of the Decepticon leader in a fury.

The fact that Megatron didn't draw his sword, as he slowly rotated in Starscream's direction, demonstrated just how bold he was. "I see your luck held out after all," Megatron stated in an infuriately conservational tone.

Starscream sneered, briefly looking past Megatron to Storm Bringer. Even that short glance almost undid him; he really had to fight to stay strong when he saw no hint of recognition in her optics. "Don't waste my time with your asinine pleasantries, Megatron!" Starscream growled, maneuvering so that his sword was held upright, with both fists, in front of him. "You know that only one of us is going to walk away from this fight."

Megatron's lips twisted up into a wry grin. "And what makes you think that I'm the one you'll be fighting, Starscream?"

Though she hesitated for a couple seconds, Storm Bringer took that as her cue, reaching up to grasp her winged weapon and trusting that Megatron would not have said what he did if he wasn't planning to back her up, should she get in trouble. An instant later, she was moving towards Starscream, her weapon raised, though she did stop a few feet away from him.

Storm Bringer sneered when she saw a fleeting panicked look cross his face. "Still afraid to fight me, coward?" she said in low, mocking tone.

Starscream's optics narrowed at her words, but he shifted his weight nonetheless, adopting a fighting stance. "Bring it on!" he growled, a hard note in his voice.

Storm Bringer launched herself towards him, feeling a rush of excitement when their weapons began to clash. As she recalled, Starscream would have been quite the formidable Decepticon warrior, if his one weakness hadn't gotten in the way. How unfortunate it was, that he'd had too much compassion for his own good; such a trait had no place in Megatron's camp.

Storm Bringer did not know if it was because she was in such top form or because her opponent was off his game, but Starscream gradually began to fall under the weight of her blows. Or more specifically, he was being driven, slowly but surely, towards the ground. Storm Bringer eagerly kept up the fight, keeping close to him as she took swing after swing at the guy with her weapon.

She and Starscream were near the treetops when he once more blocked her quarterstaff with his sword, or at least the left side. Thinking quickly and wearing a devious smile, Storm Bringer tilted the right side of her winged weapon towards him, simultaneously drawing the quarterstaff back towards herself. As a result, a gash was opened along her opponent's upper arm, making him yell out in pain.

Starscream backed up quickly, sparing a brief glance towards the wound she'd dealt him. When he looked back at her, Storm Bringer was caught slightly off guard to see an immense level of sadness in his optics. His words, when he spoke a second later, made her hesitate further. "Congratulations. I didn't see that one coming," Starscream said in a weary tone.

Storm Bringer grinned, fully intending to renew the fight. She stopped when a voice sounded, unexpectedly, in her head. It was Starscream's voice, but the fact that she was looking right at him and didn't see his lips moving threw her. _Megatron is lying to you._

"What?!" Storm Bringer blurted out loud, shaking her head as though to clear it. Such an action didn't help; she only got more confused when it was repeated.

_This identity, this life -- it's not who you are._

Storm Bringer bristled, unconsciously backing away from him. "What is this?!" she said in a raised voice. "What are you doing to me?!"

Positioned above the two sparring jets, Megatron had been watching the fight with an air of smugness. He'd not thought much of Starscream's subtle attempt at retreat, thinking simply that the fool would rather back off than do anything to risk hurting her. Yet, when he heard Storm Bringer's strange declaration, a look of abject puzzlement rose to his face. Concerned, he began to swoop in, racking his processor over what was happening here that he wasn't seeing.

At that instant, a flicker of movement in the forest below caught Megatron's attention, and he glanced downwards. It was fortunate, perhaps, that he'd positioned himself over a break in the canopy. For a couple seconds, the Decepticon leader halted, greatly surprised to see Demolisher alive and well (_How did that happen?)_. Then, he noticed that the traitor had some sort of cannon in his hands; given the angle of this device, it didn't take Megatron very long to assess that it was aimed towards the girl.

When he saw Demolisher begin to pull the trigger, Megatron hurriedly began to soar towards Storm Bringer, simultaneously shouting out a warning. As if in slow motion, she turned to look towards him, her powder blue optics displaying her confusion. Starscream, in turn, looked too bewildered to react.

Megatron found it fortunate that he was able to reach Storm Bringer in time and push her out of the way, even as the report of a launcher being fired echoed around them. Unfortunately, the Decepticon commander didn't have time to likewise avoid the shot, though it surprised Megatron when an energized, glowing red net came to envelop him.

In the next instant, he could feel the net beginning to drain his energy, and Megatron turned his gaze towards the girl, softly speaking her name in a half questioning and half apologetic tone before he began to lose consciousness.

Later on, Storm Bringer would guess that she moved too fast for Starscream to react, let alone stop her. As Megatron began to fall away, she dove after him, simultaneously reattaching her winged weapon to her frame. Miraculously, she managed to catch hold of the net before it fell too far and used all her effort to slow its descent.

Storm Bringer realized once she touched down that this position put her and Megatron in close proximity to Demolisher. Hearing the hard-edged bot rapidly closing on her and the fallen commander, Storm Bringer let go of the net and deftly spun away, once more bringing her weapon into play. When she completed her revolution, the boomerang left her hands, spinning across the clearing with such speed and force that Demolisher didn't see it coming before he was nailed (by the front, blunt edge of the weapon) across the side of the head.

The boomerang was barely back in her hands before she tilted the sharpened edges downwards, and Storm Bringer was given even less time to swipe it across the edge of the net before she was suddenly grabbed from behind.

Furiously, she fought to twist out of Starscream's grip, ignoring his verbal and mental pleas for her to stop. "Let go of me!" she said with an angry growl, following it up with a string of obscenities that would put even Demolisher to shame. After half a minute, she began to feel that it was fruitless. He had too good of a hold on her, and it was only a matter of time before Demolisher recovered and entered the fray himself.

Fortunately for a certain Decepticon commander, Starscream had been so distracted in his attempt to subdue Storm Bringer that he hadn't readily noticed that the energized net used to capture Megatron had dissolved into nothingness after being sliced open. The latter showed no mercy when he seized Starscream by one hand, ruthlessly breaking a few fingers as he violently removed it from the girl's arm.

Starscream yelled out in pain, turning to look at Megatron with wild optics before his expression melted into desperation. "No," Starscream said in a beseeching, whispered tone, mentally willing Starxis, wherever he was, to stay put. "Megatron, please don't…"

The Decepticon leader sneered, maintaining his grip on the jet's damaged hand, and barely noticing as Storm Bringer maneuvered away from him and Starscream. "Don't you dare assume that I hold any sympathy for you just because I once saved your pathetic life!" Megatron spat out, the cruelty in his words and tone tearing Starscream's spark to shreds. "You were a weakling then, and you're a weakling still. And you've long since lost the chance to prove that you could be anything but."

Megatron surely would have gone on but that Sideways' voice suddenly sounded through his comlink, stating that the raid had been a complete success and that he and Scorpinok were making their way back to the surface. After a few tense seconds, Megatron gave a short, cruel laugh, his attention briefly drawn to Demolisher when he saw the hard-edged bot using a tree to haul himself to his feet.

Megatron roughly shoved Starscream away, then turned to Storm Bringer, informing her with a single look that they'd best depart.

Starscream hurriedly climbed to his feet, his optics trained on the sky and Storm Bringer's rapidly retreating form. Without thinking, he went airborne, trying to close the distance between them as quickly as he could. His hopes died when he saw the pair he was chasing suddenly disappear through a portal which rapidly closed behind them.

Following this, it was all Starscream could do to keep from losing it. Bowing his head in sorrow, he whispered a single name. "Alexis…"

* * *

Though he was following close behind Scorpinok as they made their way to the rendezvous point to meet up with the remaining Decepticons, Sideways had to stop to gloat when he spotted Starscream and Demolisher in a nearby clearing. Shaking off his surprise that the latter was still among the living, Sideways chuckled lightly, his imagination in overdrive as to why the two looked so miserable.

It was fortunate that this distraction had kept Sideways from vacating the area, as he discovered seconds later when he heard a loud rustling behind him. Curious, the rogue bot tilted his head to look in that direction, and was startled to see that there was a small group of Terrorcons who were actually running _away_ from the rendezvous point.

Shaking his head, Sideways turned to follow them, quite annoyed when he thought, _The stupid drones must have gotten turned around…_

In any case, Sideways was startled when he saw the jaguars come to a halt in an area not too far away and actually hid themselves underneath the overgrown plant life. For a long moment, the rogue bot could only stop and stare, all the while remaining just as unseen. _The Terrorcons aren't smart enough to think about seeking cover,_ Sideways mused. _The only reason they'd do so…_

A wry smile slowly began to form beneath Sideways' faceplate, as realization hit him. _Somebody ordered them._ He resisted the urge to laugh, going on to think, _Oh, Scorpinok, you are indeed a sneaky devil… I can't wait to see how Megatron reacts to the news that you're trying to pull a fast one on him…_

* * *

_Next up: Alexis is rescued. See if you can guess by who in my current poll. (hint: there's two correct answers.)_


	21. Taking Flight

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: Kudos to you if you're one of the ones who guessed one or both of the correct answers in the poll on my profile page. And hope you enjoy reading this new installment that sets up much of the second half of the story._ :D

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Had Sideways not disappeared on them and held them up from making an immediate escape, it was certain that Scorpinok would not have realized until it was too late that four of his Terrorcons had been bugged. It had only taken one of the jaguars to make a complaint that something was stuck in the gears that were powering its right hind leg and causing a mild limp.

Scorpinok threw a glance at his companions, briefly wondering how long they might be able to hide; the trees were so large that they concealed even Tidal Wave from view, but only so long as the Autobots were searching from the sky. With an air of agitation, he activated his comlink and barked out to Sideways that he'd better get his aft in gear. In the next instant, Scorpinok kneeled by the Terrorcon that was having the problem and opened up a panel near the afflicted area to have a look.

Seeing the blinking red light, and the device that it was attached to, made Scorpinok hesitate for a few seconds. Then, he shook his head in slight amusement, saying aloud, "Clever, Autobots… But not clever enough." He took a second to look at his hand before realizing it was too large to perform the needed task, then turned towards Cyclonus and laid out the situation.

Once the device had been removed and Scorpinok found that it resembled a dart, he turned to the remaining Terrorcons and asked if any of them remembered being shot at, or experienced some unexplained pain at any time. Ironically, this caused eighteen of the jaguars and three falcons to come forward, leaving Scorpinok to think that perhaps it would be better if they didn't return to the battleship right away.

Thus, once Sideways made an appearance, Scorpinok sent a broadcast to Megatron to open a gate to a remote location, until any and all beacons could be found and disposed of…

* * *

Needless to say, Optimus was quite disappointed when he caught up with Starscream and Demolisher. Though his initial reaction was to say that he should have been there, Demolisher reminded him that Jetfire could have been killed by Tidal Wave without backup.

With that said, Demolisher turned his worried gaze towards his friend, who'd been leaning quietly against a tree trunk for the past several minutes, with Starxis perched just as silently on his shoulder. It disturbed him slightly that the jet didn't even seem concerned about the fact that his hand had been broken. After a second, the hard-edged bot took a step forward, saying simply, "Don't let one failure get you down, Starscream! There will be other plans and other opportunities!"

Starscream looked up at the sound of his name, appearing for an instant to be startled. His next statement informed his two companions that there was something more on his mind. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Demolisher, but what good are plans when there's something in play that may undermine them?" Starscream tilted his head downward a notch, clarifying what he meant with, "Megatron was right to call me a weakling."

Demolisher bristled, determined not to let Starscream demean himself. "Don't say that!" the hard-edged bot barked out. "Megatron is full of slag, and we both know it!"

Starscream looked at his friend with a surprisingly hard look in his optics. "That doesn't mean that he fails to once in a while make a good point! For Primus' sake, Demolisher, just hear me out!" He paused to take a breath, then continued with, "I told Alexis once that emotions have no place on the battlefield, especially if they put both the bearer and those they love at risk. I just couldn't seem to follow my own advice."

Starscream looked briefly at Optimus, but couldn't discern what the commander was thinking from the blank expression. "My love for Alexis got in the way, not to mention the way I actually appealed to Megatron to do the right thing… Going by past experience, that's always been my problem. If I'm to have any hope of getting her back or besting Megatron in a fight, then I need to learn how to be stronger than this. Colder, even."

Demolisher remained silent for a long moment, giving every indication that he was deep in thought by the way his optics were cast downwards. At last, he looked back up and said in agreement, "Perhaps we both do, my friend."

If either Starscream or Demolisher could have peeked into Optimus' thoughts on the matter, they would have known that the commander was not in agreement with this opinion. Starxis was even looking at Optimus in expectation, as though the youngling wanted a counterpoint thrown out there. However, such words were put aside when a voice sounded from the edge of the clearing.

"There you are," Kicker said in a loud tone, causing Optimus to glance over to see the teenager standing on Ironhide's shoulder. "We thought we'd never find you, Optimus."

Optimus sighed, taking a few steps towards Ironhide and Kicker. The commander was briefly distracted when Starscream announced that he wanted to return to Ocean City, seeing as they were finished here, and stopped to watch the jet and Demolisher warp away. Turning his gaze back to the teenager and rookie, Optimus said, "Is there a reason you were looking for me?"

Kicker hesitated for a split second, then, wearing a peculiar grin, answered, "Only to say that Ironhide and I managed to tag some of the Terrorcons as they were leaving the base." As Ironhide was holding up a data pad with the screen facing Optimus to show that they were being provided with a set of coordinates, Kicker went on with, "We'll be able to find where Megatron is hiding with no sweat."

Startled, Optimus stepped closer to his two companions to get a better look, taking the data pad from Ironhide. However, he was instantly confused when he discovered that it was displaying information only from a single homing beacon. Fixing the duo before him with clouded optics, Optimus said, "You said you tagged more than one…?"

Kicker nervously raised one hand to scratch at his head. "Yeah, about that… The other four were taken out of commission just several minutes ago." He paused, wrestling for a moment on whether or not he should disclose something strange. "Also, I'm not sure why, but the Terrorcon that's still marked broke formation with the other four just after the raid. And, before the other beacons were decommissioned, Ironhide and I tracked them to a different set of coordinates."

Optimus' face hardened, even as he shook his head. Handing the data pad back to Ironhide, he said after a moment, "I appreciate the effort, but this is not something we should follow through on."

Kicker was taken aback, to say the least. "B… But, Optimus," he sputtered, only to be cut off.

"Megatron is not known for doing anything by accident or chance. He's far too thorough," Optimus said firmly. "If one of the beacons is still active, it would only be the result of a deliberate act on his part. On the grounds that he could be leading us into a trap, I don't think it wise to send anyone to that location, even if it's by shuttle." Optimus sighed once more and added, in a gentler tone, "I want Alexis back as much as I imagine the both of you do. But there are other ways to go about it."

Optimus waited a moment for an answer that wasn't forthcoming. Given that both Kicker and Ironhide appeared as if their hopes had been dashed, it was easy to assume why they were speechless. Thinking the issue as having been dealt with, Optimus began to turn away, saying that he was going to get a status report from the Omnicons on their losses and telling his two companions that he would see them back at Ocean City.

After a second or two, Ironhide's face hardened with a downright stubborn expression, and he moved to conceal the data pad within one of his compartments before turning his head to look at Kicker. "Do you see any harm in following through on this, just the two of us? We could always turn around at the first sign of trouble." Ironhide asked, in a low tone to guarantee they'd not be overheard, just in case. When Kicker shook his head after a moment, Ironhide went on with, "Then we're agreed. Now all we need is a shuttle."

Kicker smirked, the wheels turning in his head. "Trust me, Ironhide, that's gonna be the easy part…"

* * *

Once they'd gotten back to the battleship and Storm Bringer had assured Megatron more than once that she was okay, the Decepticon commander inevitably asked her just what had happened out there on the battlefield. When questioned, Megatron said, "You asked Starscream what he was doing to you. From my vantage point, I couldn't see that he was doing anything."

Storm Bringer tilted her head downwards a notch, mentally trying to work this out. Now that she had time to reflect on Starscream's words, she felt a measure of uncertainty. _What did he mean when he said that I'm not who I think I am?_ she mused.

The fact that Megatron spoke her name softly, questioningly, made Storm Bringer focus on him. Shifting her weight, she felt slightly uncomfortable as she said, "It… It was weird. I could… hear him talking, inside my head." Her gaze locked with Megatron's, and she instantly decided it might be better to give only an abbreviated version of what she'd been told, until she could figure this out. "He was telling me that I couldn't trust you, that you were lying to me."

Though he looked bewildered, Megatron was quick to provide an answer. "I never pegged Starscream as one who would develop some psychic abilities. Perhaps it was a skill he acquired in my absence." Megatron paused, then stepped closer, gently taking one of her hands in his. "I advise you not to put much stock in what he said. Seems he'd love nothing better than to drive a wedge between me and what soldiers I have left."

Storm Bringer had barely nodded before a transmission came in from Scorpinok that they were ready to be teleported back to the ship. While Megatron was seeing to this task, she found herself plagued with doubt, the more she reflected on what Starscream had said. _Who am I? Can I even trust my own memories?_

Her meditation was shortly interrupted when Megatron returned to her side, softly stroking her metallic hair in a way that soothed her. She didn't know long he kept this up before he softly said, "I thank Primus that I didn't lose you out there today. And I thank you for saving me, Storm Bringer. If only all of the troops could be as loyal as you are…"

Feeling a warm feeling washing over her, Storm Bringer began to dim her optics when Megatron slowly started to lean in for a kiss. However, the mood was killed somewhat when there came the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat, somewhere behind the commander.

When Megatron pulled away from her, though he didn't turn to see who had interrupted them, Sideways spoke out. "We need to talk, Megatron. Alone."

A wry smile came to Megatron's lips as Storm Bringer watched him. "Unless it's urgent, Sideways, it can surely wait. You can come back later."

The words were barely out of Megatron's mouth before Sideways responded with a loud growl, deliberately dropping his sword to the floor to show that he was shifting to his intangible state. "Have you forgotten that quickly that I made it clear I would not be treated as a subordinate? Don't you dare blow me off," Sideways said gruffly. After a short pause, he added, "Unless you'd prefer that I go back on our bargain, I suggest that you grant me an audience, now."

A dark shadow crossed over Megatron's face, but he had no choice but to give in. Otherwise, Sideways could very well follow through on the threat, and there would be nothing that the commander could do to stop him. "Very well." Megatron turned to Storm Bringer, saying simply, "Would you excuse us, my dear?"

Once the girl had walked from the bridge, Sideways saw fit to say, "Never forget that you agreed that I'd be treated as an equal, Megatron. When I make a request, I expect to be heard."

"Just so long as you don't confuse equality with superiority," Megatron answered, fighting to stay calm. "This partnership will only succeed so long as we understand each other, Sideways. Just because you hold power over me does not mean you have to make threats to get your way. And, you'd do well to learn patience."

Megatron crossed his arms. "Now, with that said, what's so important that you felt it couldn't wait?"

Sideways blinked, suddenly feeling slightly foolish for making such a fuss. Perhaps Megatron was right; he realized that he'd never had cause to forge a working alliance such as this. Unicron had been relatively easy to get along with. But then, the goals and terms of service of the dark god had been much, much simpler.

It didn't take Sideways very long to lay out the details of his discovery and his suspicions that Scorpinok was being dishonest. "The only reason I can think of as to why he'd order this small group away from the main force would be if he were sending them to Alpha Q."

Megatron thought this over, but, try as he might, he couldn't make it make sense. "Impossible," the Decepticon commander said in a low, thoughtful tone. "If Scorpinok knows where his former master is hiding, then it's doubtful that he would still be here. Why wouldn't he take the Terrorcons and run, if that were the case?" Seeing that Sideways looked unconvinced Megatron went on to say, "I don't think we can assume that Scorpinok is a traitor without proof. There could very well be some other explanation."

After a short silence, Megatron looked up, his optics locking with Sideways'. "Perhaps the best way to know for sure is to keep closer tabs on our 'friend.' Should be child's play for you, Sideways, if you're up for the task."

Sideways nodded. "Consider it done," he answered, relishing the idea of possibly striking out at Alpha Q through his subordinate. A second later, Sideways shifted his weight and said, "And now, while I have your attention, there is another matter we need to discuss…"

* * *

After leaving Megatron's side, Storm Bringer began to wander aimlessly through the corridors of the shuttle, her thoughts in turmoil thanks to the events of the past several hours. At one point, she even found herself musing that she'd been provided an answer to Demolisher's earlier behavior. If this life was indeed not hers, perhaps he'd only been trying to return her to the one that was.

Storm Bringer pursed her lips, silently thinking, _Could this be why no one other than Megatron or Sideways is at ease around me? Because I don't belong here?_

So lost in this reverie, she was, that she didn't see Scorpinok standing to one side of the corridor she was passing through, until she was nearly on top of him. In fact, when he softly cleared his throat to grab her attention, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Storm Bringer took a step back, resting one hand against her chest and giving a sharp gasp in her fright. Scorpinok almost instantly held up his hands in a calming gesture. "Forgive me," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you." There was a short pause, in which he returned to a more casual pose, though he did throw a glance towards the hall behind her as if he wanted to see if there may be someone accompanying her. "I was hoping that you'd fared alright, having gone head to head with Starscream."

Her optics grew wide. "How did you…?" She broke off, then began again. "Did you see us fighting?"

Scorpinok shook his head. "Was able to put two and two together, courtesy of Sideways… There's a boastful, intuitive Decepticon for you." Scorpinok took half a step towards her. "And, I had a feeling that Starscream might come after you."

Storm Bringer tilted her head to one side, her curiosity aroused. "Do you know something I don't?" she asked in a slightly heated tone, not liking that he might know more than her memory was telling her. "Why would Starscream be that interested in me?"

Scorpinok offered her a very faint smile. "I'd say that you just answered my question," he said cryptically. "There's nothing like the introduction of conflicting variables to clue one in on the fact that something's not right." He stood up straight, looking prepared to say something more, only to be cut off when the sound of distant footsteps reached them.

Scorpinok tilted his head downwards a notch, though that faint smile didn't leave his face. "I shouldn't keep you," he said softly. "Perhaps you're better off returning to your quarters, Storm Bringer. Having some time to yourself may help you sort things out."

Storm Bringer was speechless for several seconds as she watched him walk away; she was so startled by his abrupt turnabout and cryptic attitude that she couldn't formulate any words. He was all the way down the corridor before she regained her senses and called out his name, but Scorpinok surprised her by not even breaking stride. He was gone before she knew it, leaving her more confused, and feeling far more alone, than ever…

* * *

Finding a place to talk in private, within Ocean City, was almost impossible, the colony was so filled with cameras and intercoms in every nook and cranny. Thus, Ironhide and Kicker were forced to sequester themselves within the former's room in order to discuss their plans on how they were going to commandeer a shuttle and get away from Earth.

The twosome had barely gotten started on their plotting before the handheld communicator in Kicker's pocket began buzzing. Though the teenager gave an exasperated sigh, he did draw it out and activated it. An air of calmness descended on him when he identified Misha, and Kicker had to forcibly remind himself that now wouldn't be a good time to engage in conversation. He apologetically told Misha that this wasn't the best time to talk, then pressed the cancel button and set the device on the bunk beside him.

Standing opposite the bunk, Ironhide shifted his weight. "Okay, now that we're alone… You were going to tell me just how we're going to procure a shuttle. Last time I checked, there weren't even any available here at Ocean City."

A wry grin came to Kicker's face. "Not here, but there is a base about thirty miles inland that's housing some. I know that Red Alert requested such a depot towards the beginning of the alliance between Cybertron and Earth, in case the Warp Gates should ever fail us." Kicker paused, crossing his hands behind his head in his usual cavalier manner. "As for how we're going to lay our hands on one… Well, I know three little Mini-Cons who would be up to the challenge and who could probably come up with a convincing story."

Kicker leaned back slightly, a curious look rising to his face. "So, is that beacon of ours still active?"

Ironhide pulled the data pad from his compartment after an instant, giving an affirmative after a split-second and saying that the tracer now appeared to be stationary. After a slight hesitation on his part, he reluctantly said, "I don't know, Kicker. What if Optimus is right and this could be leading us into a trap? For all we know, we could be walking right into an ambush."

Kicker bristled. "Or maybe the Big Guy was wrong, and Megatron isn't always thorough. And, more than likely, it would have been Scorpinok's responsibility to look for tracking devices since they're his bots. For all we know, he could have been the one to make a mistake."

The teenager paused, leaning forward once more. "As I said before, we'll pull out at the first sign of trouble, but all that we're going to be doing is some recon. We don't even have to get close to the point of origin; the long range scanners would let us know what we're in for in advance, and we'd have a warp engine at our disposal to make a clean getaway."

Ironhide set down the data pad and started nervously wringing his hands together. "Suppose Megatron has another jammer on hand…"

A low growl escaped Kicker's lips, but he kept his cool enough to answer. "Then we rely on the regular engines and the firepower at our disposal. We'll even have High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock along to assist." The teenager paused again, then said, "Don't chicken out on me now, Ironhide. We've been given an opportunity to help save Alexis, and we shouldn't waste it! As soon as we get a location, all we have to do is radio to the Autobots on Earth to send backup."

When the answer came not from Ironhide but from the communicator lying on the bunk next to Kicker, both the room's occupants just about jumped out of their skins. "Therein lies your problem, Kicker," Misha said, loudly enough to ensure that she'd be heard. After a short pause, she said, "The next time you're going to blow someone off, make sure she doesn't know you well enough to get suspicious, and that she doesn't have the means to hack into your communicator."

Kicker blanched, quickly snatching up the handheld device. "Misha," he said quickly, frantically wondering just how much she had heard. "I can explain…"

Her next words, when she cut him off, actually had both him and Ironhide reeling. "The communications array on the shuttle is linked into the GPS system," Misha said tersely, but still in that soft-spoken tone of hers. "You leave that active, and you'll only have an hour at best before Optimus and the others catch up to you and drag you back to Earth."

After a few seconds of trying to comprehend this, Kicker and Ironhide looked at each other in bewilderment. Ironically, both of them were thinking the exact same thing: _Did she just imply that she's going to help us?_

* * *

Once back in Ocean City, Optimus was quick to gather together his most seasoned warriors that weren't otherwise occupied for a private meeting. As he was told by Hot Shot, Starscream and Demolisher had retreated to the shooting range on the upper levels.

With a sigh, Optimus looked around at Hot Shot, Scavenger, Red Alert, and Jetfire in turn, kicking off the meeting by saying, "I hope that all of you aren't completely disheartened by this one failure. The situation with our missing teammate aside, there are other matters that need to be addressed… The building of our new mines in the Alaskan tundra is still ongoing, and I'd like to appoint you, Hot Shot, to go there to provide some security… And maybe, we can rope Kicker into venturing back out there to pinpoint where the Omnicons should be digging."

Optimus turned towards Jetfire, quickly adding, "I'm temporarily putting you in charge of Ocean City. In the meantime, I'll be accompanying Red Alert and Dr. Jones to Cybertron to get started on the planet-wide defense system… and to see about implementing some personal upgrades." He looked over at the medic. "I think it's time that I gained some flight capabilities of my own. It may help even the battlefield and maybe knock Megatron down a notch."

Red Alert nodded, going on to add, "With any luck, we'll have Cybertron protected before Megatron even thinks about venturing there. Completing that big of a project is going to take some time."

Optimus looked downwards at those words, that heavy feeling returning to rest on his shoulders. Much as he hated the idea, he had to admit that ensuring that Megatron did not lose any more team members might buy them some time. Quietly, he said as much to the soldiers before him, swearing them to secrecy to ensure that this statement did not get back to Starscream.

After a short silence, Scavenger began to wonder why he'd been asked to attend this meeting, as Optimus had yet to assign him anything. "May I ask why you summoned me here, sir?" he asked in a quiet tone.

Optimus nodded absently, then looked up and abruptly told the others they were dismissed. Once he and Scavenger were alone, the commander said, "I requested you because I've always trusted your judgment. You've always had a knack for resolving personal matters and opening one's optics." Optimus shifted his weight, adding, "On that note, I need you to do something very important…"

* * *

For roughly twenty minutes after she'd sequestered herself within her room, Storm Bringer had been staring blankly at a cylinder-like device in her hand. In spite of herself, she'd been compelled to follow Scorpinok's advice, and had been surprised to find one of the jaguar Terrorcons had been waiting outside her door, brandishing a few gifts for her.

As Scorpinok had said in the data pad that now rested at her side, the device she held would help unblock her neural pathways and ensure that she remember who she was. Nevertheless, Storm Bringer could only feel apprehensive at the notion; did she really want to find out if Megatron had indeed lied to her? The Decepticon commander had been so kind up to this point, and he clearly felt something for her.

And yet…

Storm Bringer pursed her lips, thinking of Demolisher and Starscream. Given their actions, it was clear that they (and it seemed, Scorpinok as well) both felt that she didn't belong here. After letting that idea weigh on her for several moments, she got to her feet with a sigh, detaching her winged weapon and setting it against the wall so that she could at least have a reflective surface to look into.

With that accomplished, she kneeled down and tentatively opened a panel on her brow. Still, Storm Bringer was hesitant when she raised the device to hook it into the foremost part of her processing unit.

As Scorpinok had explained, a small amount of nanobots would be released into her CPU that were designed to immediately repair any anomalies. Still, she was slightly unprepared for how instantaneous the effects were, and Storm Bringer involuntarily yanked the device away. Her balance must have been thrown off because the next thing she knew, she was flat on her back, the device pressed against the floor by one heavy hand and her breathing labored.

After a long moment of trying to keep from losing it and attempting to process everything she'd done in so short a time, Alexis buried her face in one hand, rolling onto her side and quietly weeping for all she was worth. So distraught she was, that she couldn't even think of a means of escape at this point. _Oh, God, _she mused with a heavy spark, the memory of fighting her beloved weighing heavily on her in spite of the fact that it wasn't her fault. _Starscream, I'm so sorry…_

* * *

When he was called before Megatron and Sideways, Cyclonus was just waiting for one, or both, of them to add some further insult to injury. Given what he'd been put through the past several days, such resentment was understandable. So, it came as a great surprise when he heard what the Decepticon commander had to say.

Blinking energetically, Cyclonus let his gaze travel to the rogue bot standing at Megatron's side, vaguely aware that the latter was saying, "Sideways here made a good point that perhaps I'd been a bit rash in recent decisions. And having Demolisher turn traitor put the whole team in a precarious position." Megatron paused, then added, "I have no desire to lose another soldier… I hope you'll be content in having your flight capabilities restored, and that you'll be able to adjust to this new form."

Cyclonus bowed his head, struck speechless for a moment. Sideways seemed to know what the eccentric bot was thinking, for he gruffly interjected, "Don't take this to mean that I'm your friend! I only intervened on your behalf so that this team doesn't wind up any more fragmented than it already is!"

Cyclonus hesitated for a moment more, then asked awkwardly, "Do I still have to change my name?"

Sideways shook his head, snorting at the idiocy of that statement. "I hate to break this to you," he said sarcastically, "but you're no longer a helicopter. And it's hardly a fitting name for a snow mobile, aerial or not." When Cyclonus inquired if Sideways had any suggestions, the latter hesitated for an instant before derisively responding, "You can call yourself Slushy for all I care."

Seeing the telling glint in Cyclonus' optics, Megatron interjected, "Don't even think about taking that seriously, soldier…"

* * *

Until Scavenger finally made his way up to the shooting range and saw both Starscream and Demolisher in action, he'd been unsure if Optimus had been right to be concerned. But the surest sign that Megatron's former troops were truly serious about learning to be detached was inherent in the way that they were actually fighting each other.

Scavenger stood and watched for a moment, idly wondering just whose idea this had been. Perhaps Starscream's, given that the jet seemed the more determined of the two and wasn't pulling his punches to the extent that his friend was.

Demolisher looked up at Starscream, having just been knocked flat on his aft, and a grimace crossed the face of the hard-edged bot when the jet demanded in a hard tone that he get up. Starxis, in the meanwhile, was perched on a table not too far away, looking surprisingly heartened to see Scavenger.

Feeling he'd seen enough, Scavenger strode forward, his arms crossed. "Stay where you are, Demolisher," he said loudly, making Starscream round on him with a hint of surprise. It didn't take long for the jet's expression to melt into fury.

"This is not your business, Scavenger," Starscream snapped. "You're not going to stop me from doing whatever I have to in order to get Alexis back."

Scavenger's face went blank. "It's funny," he said in an astonishingly even tone. "I would have thought you'd be better and smarter than this by now." After a very brief pause, he added, "Allow me to agree with Megatron. You are weak, as well as the world's biggest idiot… Optimus may not see that, but I'd personally worked alongside you for several months at one time, Starscream. You're still as young and naïve as you were when I first met you."

Starscream was speechless for an instant, then was practically frothing at the mouth. "How dare you!" he spat out. "You know how much I've done when it came to keeping the peace between the factions?!"

Scavenger tilted his head to one side in a infuriatingly cavalier manner. "To be fair, that proves you have excellent diplomacy skills. But why not leave battling Megatron to someone who can actually do so on even terms and who won't make some half-afted attempt?"

Demolisher was ready to cut in with an angry retort, but was stopped when a sudden weight landed on his chest. Looking down, he was greatly surprised to see Starxis gazing up at him; the youngling's wings were even folding in against his flank. "Stay put," Starxis quietly chirped out, supposedly keeping his voice low so his adopted father wouldn't hear. "Let Scavenger talk."

Demolisher hadn't heard what Starscream said in response, but Scavenger's next words clued him in. "The fact that you're flying off the handle so badly would almost guarantee that this little scheme of yours is not going to work… Give it up, Starscream. You have no hope of reaching Megatron's league of emotional suppression. And that being the case, I suggest you leave rescuing Alexis to those who can actually pull it off."

An angry curse passed through Starscream's lips at this declaration, and he shifted his weight, detaching his wing sword and taking an aggressive stance. "Don't you dare imply that I don't have what it takes to save her!" he snarled in a loud tone.

Scavenger shifted his weight as well, but remained just as relaxed as before. Still, a cocky smile came to his lips that really irritated the jet before him. "Please," Scavenger replied with a strong note of humor. "You couldn't even hope to best me on a good day, you good-for-nothing novice… I bet that even Alexis is going to one day surpass you on the battlefield." Scavenger hesitated for an instant, tilting his head slightly to one side. "Oh, wait. I hear she already has…"

Later on, Starscream would never be able to pinpoint just which one of Scavenger's statements set him off. With an angry cry, he was raising his sword, rushing towards the seasoned vet in a rage. Scavenger didn't even flinch, and responded by quickly identifying the blade's most likely arc and deftly stepping out of the way.

An amused chuckle escaped Scavenger's lips, adding to his opponent's irritation. "Is that the best you can do?" he goaded, prompting Starscream to make another attempt.

Past Starxis' plea that he not get involved, Demolisher had been watching the exchange with a near-overwhelming sense of confusion. But, something about Scavenger's last statement inspired an idea on what was happening here. With wide optics, Demolisher began to view this battle with a growing understanding, as he started to see more and more what the seasoned vet was doing. The more he thought about it, the more that Demolisher began to believe that this was perhaps the better course of action.

The fight, such as it was, continued for maybe another five minutes, with Starscream growing increasingly enraged under Scavenger's taunts. At some point, the jet stopped screaming at his opponent to shut up, and seemed to be wholeheartedly attempting to take Scavenger down. Still, Demolisher was impressed when Starscream, during another blind rush, suddenly left the ground, swiftly pirouetting in the air above Scavenger to move in just behind the seasoned vet.

Scavenger was blinking furiously for an instant, undeniably surprised by this move, before Starscream, still airborne, kicked out at his unprotected back. With a grunt, Scavenger stumbled forward a few paces, but amazingly remained on his feet. The latter barely had time to turn before Starscream was on him once more, driving his sword towards his opponent's chest.

When a hand closed roughly around Starscream's arm to stop him from running the blade home, the jet looked over at Demolisher with a start. "That's enough," the hard-edged bot said in a no-nonsense tone. "Scavenger's not the enemy."

Scavenger threw a quick look towards Demolisher, his expression blank, then focused on Starscream. Without giving the jet a chance to speak, Scavenger said simply, "Congrats, Starscream. You're much better at improvising when you're angry."

Starscream remained silent for a long while, his mind reeling as he took time to process this. At last, he looked up at Scavenger with wide optics and said incredulously, "You couldn't just tell me this?!"

Scavenger offered a wry grin. "Would you have believed me if I had?" he countered. A pause, and then, "You're a good warrior, Starscream, don't get me wrong. But even you still have some things to learn… Trust me, burying your emotions while in battle is not always a good thing."

Scavenger hesitated for an instant, then said in all seriousness, "In all the time I've known you, Megatron has done everything possible to make your life a living hell. He has tried to take your self-respect and kill your spirit. And now, he has the one being, other than Starxis, that you hold most dear!" Scavenger crossed his arms, throwing another quick glance at Demolisher, which told him that the hard-edged bot was also listening to this with rapt attention. "Use that to your advantage, Starscream. You take every little thing that Megatron has ever done to cause you pain, and you use it to fuel the hatred you feel towards him! And don't even think about whatever favors he might have done for you! None of that matters now, and certainly doesn't outweigh his kidnapping and brainwashing of the woman you love!"

When Starscream looked up, there was a dangerous, fiery gleam in his orange optics that both Scavenger and Demolisher were glad to see. In an equally intense tone, he said simply, "Megatron is going to be in for a world of hurt when our paths next cross…"

* * *

Ever since their return to the battleship, Scorpinok had been waiting for an opportunity to contact Alpha Q. He didn't know just when the next raid might come about, but the last thing that he wanted was a repeat of what had occurred that afternoon.

Finding a secure place to initiate a communication was almost impossible, as any one of the Decepticons could stumble into an area that was deemed safe or, given the way voices carried around this place, could overhear Scorpinok's side of the transmission from a distance.

An opportunity seemed to present itself as Scorpinok was sitting calmly in the rec room (or what counted as one) of the shuttle, as Cyclonus and Sideways wandered in engaged in minor chitchat. Or at least, Cyclonus was; Sideways looked just as indifferent, and was giving uninterested responses, as always.

Scorpinok remained silent for a few moments as he watched the exchange, though his attention was briefly drawn when Cyclonus abruptly asked his companions what they thought of the name, Snowcat. After giving a slightly absent nod to indicate that it sounded alright, Scorpinok resisted the urge to laugh in amusement when the eccentric bot announced that he just might adopt this name.

Scorpinok didn't know what had inspired this moniker, but eventually decided that Cyclonus/Snowcat was screwy enough that it didn't matter.

Scorpinok lowered his head a notch, trying to think just where the others might be. He was relatively sure that Tidal Wave might be asleep/in recharge right now, and Megatron was almost certainly on the bridge, plotting their next plan of attack. And the girl, with any luck, had taken Scorpinok up on his offer.

He took a moment to silently wish her well; she'd need all her wits about her when it came to escaping the Decepticons and making her way back to Earth.

Scorpinok leaned forward in his seat, lightly clearing his throat to grab the attention of his two companions. "I'm going outside to get some fresh air," he offered as an excuse. In a fit of whimsy, he added, "Try to have fun without me."

Once positioned on the outer hull and safely held in place by the ship's magnetic field, Scorpinok idly began walking towards the port side cannon, making a quick mental note that he should see about fixing it. Within moments, he was positioned just behind the gun, confident that he was now out of view of the bridge.

With a sigh, Scorpinok lowered his visor, simultaneously bowing his head. In a soft-spoken tone, he said, "Alpha Q… Can you hear me?"

The reply was almost instantaneous. "You need not ask, my friend. I have been awaiting your call since this afternoon."

Scorpinok lightly shook his head. "Then perhaps you know what I'm going to say… What in Primus' name were you thinking, pulling a stunt like the one you did? I gave you those Terrorcons so that you could start collecting from remote locations, so you'd have Energon to feed to your half of Unicron. If any one of Megatron's troops had seen them come or go…"

"But they didn't," Alpha Q interrupted. "I made sure no one was watching."

Scorpinok paused, then told himself that Megatron surely would have come after him by now if the rogue Terrorcons had been seen. To Alpha Q, he said, "Perhaps we got lucky this time. But keep monitoring the situation here on the battleship for the next day… And **do not** do anything like you did this afternoon again! If Megatron ever gets wind of the fact that you and I both are playing him, then it will be all over!"

After Alpha Q voiced his agreement, Scorpinok terminated the conversation, moving his visor so it once more rested at his forehead. For a minute, he turned his gaze towards the stars, as a means of helping to calm his frazzled nerves. At last, he turned to go back inside, relatively sure that maybe everything would turn out alright after all.

Once Scorpinok had gone, Sideways turned visible just yards away from where the former had been standing, a very amused look present in his optics. A second later, Sideways phased back through the hull to rejoin Snowcat in the rec room, anxiously awaiting the moment where Megatron viewed the recording (as seen by Sideways' own optics) telling where Scorpinok's loyalties really lay…

* * *

Alexis didn't know how long she lay on the floor in her quarters, wallowing in sorrow. Strangely, she was broken out of it once the mere thought of Megatron came to mind. She didn't know how much time she would have before he came looking for her; it wouldn't be good if he found her in such an emotional state.

Alexis pushed herself up into a sitting position, fighting like mad to compose herself. During this, her gaze wandered to the cylinder-like device she still held in one hand, which inevitably brought Scorpinok to mind.

Alexis lightly and thoughtfully bit her lower lip, wondering if her initial instincts about Scorpinok's character were valid after all. Given that he had provided her with the means to recover her memory, perhaps he was as honorable as she'd first believed. And whatever his and Alpha Q's plans were, at least the two of them were relatively harmless in comparison to Megatron.

Now that Alexis' thoughts were more focused, she was eventually drawn to an inevitable, and interesting, conclusion. Though part of her mind was screaming that she had to figure a way to escape and make her way home, she couldn't ignore the fact that Unicron was still a factor in all this, and the primary goal of the Autobots was to locate him so that he could be taken out once and for all.

Alexis looked towards the floor, attempting to soothe her turbulent mind while softly saying, "Megatron likely wouldn't know that I have my real memories back. If I just play along for a while longer, this conflict could only be lasting for a matter of days."

The thought of Starscream and Starxis, and how much she would like to go back to them, tried to rise to the forefront, but Alexis forced it back into the lower recesses of her mind with a violent shake of her head. To keep it buried, she focused wholeheartedly on Unicron and how great it would be if he was removed from the equation.

Alexis didn't know how long she sat there before her comlink suddenly buzzed to life, making her jump. When Megatron's voice rang through, apparently summoning her, Tidal Wave, and someone named Snowcat (?) to the bridge, Alexis climbed to her feet and reached for her winged weapon, hardening herself for whatever was to come, and preparing herself to put on the show of her life…

* * *

Once Misha had gotten on board, Kicker and Ironhide were subjected to a variety of factors that they'd not considered. Both the guys were still, for the most part, in shock that she was aiding them, even though she'd made it clear early on that she wished to help Alexis as much as they did. For instance, one of the points addressed was the subject of food and that they'd best stock for up to twenty days just to be safe.

The primary reason that Kicker didn't argue with Misha on her coming along for the ride was because he feared giving her an excuse to go running to one of the Autobots. And, he had to admit, it was a fair exchange for the way she had meticulously schemed a way for all three of them to get away from Ocean City and commandeer a shuttle from the base on the mainland. Kicker and Ironhide would never have been able to bypass the security systems at both locations without her.

When Hot Shot radioed in a request for Kicker to come help them out in the Alaskan tundra, Misha had assured him that she'd see about the last minute details. "Just be ready to leave this evening," she had said, anticipating that the task at hand should only take him two hours at best.

Shortly after Kicker had departed, Misha and Ironhide were sequestered within the latter's quarters, and she was at work removing his own individual locator. As he watched her carrying out this task, Ironhide commented, "You must really care about Alexis to want to do this."

Misha looked up at him, a small hint of surprise in her blue eyes. It took her a moment to find her voice and offer a reply. "It's not just because of that," she said softly. A pause, and then, "I've been apprised of every aspect of the situation ever since the first attack by Alpha Q, and I've come to understand that Unicron is a dominant factor in all this… I've heard the stories, about how he nearly wiped out the entire Transformer race."

Misha paused again, wanting to get back to the task at hand but deciding she owed Ironhide more of an explanation. Setting down her tools, she said, "Optimus is a good leader, but exercising caution should only go so far. As far as we're aware, Unicron doesn't have nearly the same level as power as he did before. We'd do well to be sure he never gets that far, whether Megatron is controlling him or not… This could all be over, and soon, simply by taking Unicron out of play. All we need is a location, and the Autobots will be able to hit him with everything they've got."

Ironhide nodded thoughtfully and remained silent for so long that Misha felt free to carry on with her job. It took mere minutes before she succeeded in detaching his locator (roughly the size of a small boulder, but much more lightweight), after which Ironhide plucked it out so he could store it in one of his compartments. As Misha had said, he'd do well to keep it with him until they were ready to depart Ocean City. When the time was right, he'd plant it inside his room, so no one would realize he was missing until it was too late.

Misha sighed, then looked back up at him, saying gently, "Okay, we're all set… You ready to do what you'll have to when Kicker and I contact you?"

"Yeah," Ironhide replied, accentuating it with a thumb's up gesture; she guessed he must have picked it up from Kicker at some point. "Just wish me luck. Being stealthy is not my strong point."

Misha offered an encouraging smile. "At least you won't have far to walk…"

* * *

When he'd rejoined Sideways and Snowcat in the rec room, Scorpinok had not thought much of their subsequent departure when the former had told the latter that perhaps they should see about reinstalling a set of thrusters. For a long moment, Scorpinok had settled into his chair, lost in his own thoughts and idly musing that Sideways would make an excellent engineer if he wasn't so hung up on personal grudges.

Scorpinok didn't notice that Sideways, Snowcat, and the girl had re-entered the room, let alone that they were all facing him with varying degrees of hostility, before the eccentric bot was shouting at him to get up. Startled, Scorpinok looked up, and the fact that each of them had a laser weapon pointed at him caused him enough unease that he didn't dare think of disobeying the request.

Scorpinok had barely climbed to his feet before Sideways said, in a downright harsh tone, "Megatron wants a word with you. If you don't comply, there is not one of us that won't hesitate to shoot you."

Scorpinok tentatively took a step forward, then two, his optics darting towards the girl. However, he couldn't discern whether or not she had her true memories back, as her face was completely blank.

Briefly, he wondered if she'd gone to Megatron to disclose what Scorpinok had offered her, but then deemed it unlikely. Would she really want to give the Decepticon leader even the slightest hint that she might doubt him?

The first words that passed through Megatron's lips, once Scorpinok was standing before him, were the last thing that the majestic bot wanted to hear. "Exactly how long did you expect you could hide your continued affiliation with Alpha Q?" the Decepticon commander said in a disturbingly calm tone. "Be careful how you answer, Scorpinok. We already know the truth."

Scorpinok was silent for a long while, purposely looking to the left and right to gaze at each of Megatron's troops. Even Tidal Wave was present at this point; save for the girl, the antagonistic looks he was getting told him that he didn't have a hope of escaping. Focusing back on Megatron, Scorpinok was surprisingly relaxed when he said, "Do what you will, Megatron. I'm not going to deny a thing."

Sideways was the one who spoke next, causing all optics to turn towards him. "Yes, but are you prepared for the consequences?" There was a short silence, then the rogue bot continued with, "I heard everything that was said during your last transmission to your master, Scorpinok. And, I'd say you provided us with the very thing we needed to draw Alpha Q out of hiding." Sideways tilted his head to one side, his optics indicating that a cruel smile was playing at his lips. "I think we'll see very soon just how much regard your liege has for your well-being."

Scorpinok turned his gaze back towards Megatron with a strong feeling of dread, thinking simply, _What are you going to do…?_

* * *

As far as Kicker, Misha, and Ironhide's plan went, there were two factors that were already in play that were working in their favor. 1) High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock were free to come and go from Ocean City as they pleased; the Mini-Cons had been granted a vast amount of free will following the end of the first war. And 2), the fact that Optimus had accompanied Red Alert to Cybertron meant that the Autobot leader didn't have a say in any activities that Kicker might engage in.

Still, Misha faced one heck of a challenge when it came to pleading with Jetfire into allowing her and Kicker to drive over to the nearby town for a Chinese dinner. As part of the argument, she had even said, "It's not fair to keep us humans cooped up just out of fear that the Decepticons may be coming… Plus, I'm going back to Desert City tomorrow, and I'd like an opportunity to spend some time alone with a friend. We'll even have High Wire with us to radio back to you guys in case of trouble."

As Misha had hoped, Jetfire did cave in, but with great reluctance. Thus, she and Kicker were soon crossing the bridge to the mainland, on board High Wire. Once out of sight of the colony, the Mini-Con they were riding came to a halt, transforming to his bot mode after the two teenagers had climbed off.

Wordlessly, Kicker, Misha, and High Wire doubled back to the shoreline on foot; the two humans had purposely worn dark clothing so that they wouldn't stand out against the dimming landscape. During their trek, Misha typed in some commands on her palm pilot, then initiated a private broadcast. "Okay, Ironhide, you're good to go. See you soon," she said.

Though he knew that they had every chance of pulling this off, Kicker was still growing quite antsy while he and his companions waited for Ironhide. Misha was quick to notice his discomfort and sought to put him at ease when she said, "We're going to be okay, Kicker… We may be in for some trouble with Optimus and the others for pulling a stunt like this, but we're doing the right thing in the long run."

Kicker gave an ironic laugh. "Funny," he said lightly. "Alexis once told me that there's no better feeling than the one that comes with knowing you did the right thing. Accomplished something momentous, even." He looked across at her. "I'm starting to know what she meant. After all, what could be more significant than actually helping to end a war?"

Misha hesitated, then very shyly took a step towards him. When she nervously lay one hand against the side of his face, her eyes rife with uncertainty, Kicker almost didn't dare breathe for anticipation of what was coming. He wasn't disappointed, as she leaned in and brushed his lips with hers in a quick, tentative kiss.

If Ironhide hadn't interrupted them, bursting from underneath the ocean water a number of yards away with a loud splash, Kicker and Misha didn't know what they might have said to each other. Dripping wet, Ironhide moved towards the two teenagers, voicing his displeasure over having been made to swim such a distance. As Misha had planned, he'd been able to make it to one of the city's airlocks, thanks in part to her pre-recording of some security footage that she'd set to play on a loop, and from there, climb down to the sea below.

"Glad you made it," Kicker said, though he didn't take his eyes off Misha. The look he held for her was quite reassuring; it told Misha that the feelings between them were mutual.

Misha pursed her lips, looking up at Ironhide and laughing gently at his complaint that he'd better not be facing any rust issues. Softly, she told him that such a thing could be fixed easily by Red Alert, given the opportunity, then suggested that they be on their way. "One phase down, one to go…"

* * *

When Megatron made the announcement that they would be journeying to Unicron's remains, Alexis almost couldn't believe her audio receptors; she really had to fight to keep the feeling of excitement from showing on her face. En route, even though she was keeping a gun trained on Scorpinok from behind and to the left, all she could focus on was that she'd soon have a set of coordinates that the Autobots could work with.

It wasn't until she saw Megatron actually tap into Unicron's processor and create an asteroid of sorts, with chains bolted into it and a rocket attachment, that Alexis was even able to think about anything else. Feeling slightly numb, she watched as Snowcat and Sideways, under the orders of the Decepticon leader, closed the cuffs of the chains around Scorpinok's wrists. Clearly, the point of this endeavor was to send Alpha Q's subordinate on a collision course with either a planet or star.

Alexis remained silent as she watched Tidal Wave carry the asteroid outside, and as Sideways programmed the boosters to fire up. As the rock was launched into space, her optics locked briefly with Scorpinok's. She didn't know if it was that glance between them that did it or if she would have come to the same conclusion on her own. It didn't matter what the outcome would be; this tactic could end either in the capture of Alpha Q or in Scorpinok's death.

After the way he had helped her, she knew that she couldn't let this happen.

With that thought in mind, Alexis looked at Megatron after a few moments, idly wondering just how well the Decepticon leader (or Sideways, for that matter) had thought this through. Forcing a mischievous smile to rise to her lips, she stepped towards Megatron, catching his attention by laying one hand on his arm and hoping beyond hope that he was so enamored with her that he wouldn't deny the request.

"Mind if I have a personal shot at the traitor, before Alpha Q comes for him?" Alexis said slyly, her optics twinkling. "It could be fun to inflict some hurt first."

Megatron's optics flickered with surprise, causing her a brief instant of doubt. But, he recovered in no time and offered an entertained laugh. Raising one hand to touch her face, he said jovially, "That's my girl." A pause, and then, "Have at it, Storm Bringer."

She turned away with a devious smile playing at her lips, then took a few steps in the general direction of the retreating asteroid before going airborne. En route, she was silently praying that Scorpinok was fast enough that he'd be able to outrace the Decepticons; she was less concerned about herself, when it came to that point.

Scorpinok looked her way as she got nearer; she guessed he must have spotted her out of the corner of his optic. For a long moment, he simply stared at her in bewilderment, perhaps wondering just whose side she was on.

Alexis certainly kept him guessing when she swooped in, putting on a fully convincing show for whomever might be watching when she kicked him across the side of the face. A moment later, she maneuvered downwards so she and Scorpinok were face to face, and she had one hand clasped over his throat. Her gaze darted ever so briefly to the right, the short glimpse giving her an idea of just how thick the chains were.

Focusing back on Scorpinok, Alexis said simply, in a tone that didn't betray her true intentions, "Not fair that you shouldn't pay for double-crossing us like this." She leaned in slightly, saying in a near inaudible tone and punctuating it with a telling wink, "But far be it from me to do what Megatron won't… Get ready to run, Scorpinok."

He might have thrown out a protest if Alexis hadn't moved as quickly as she did. In a flash, she had set her laser weapons up to their highest level, and both chains that were binding him to the asteroid had been blown apart before anyone, even those watching from Unicron's remains, could fully realize it.

Hurriedly, Alexis grabbed Scorpinok by the collar, pulling him away from the rock with the intention of getting him moving. "Go!" she yelled, pushing him ahead of her before turning her gaze towards the Decepticons. That single look almost undid her; nothing was more frightening then seeing even the tiniest hint of fury in Megatron's optics at this point.

Biting back her fear, Alexis was spinning round, transforming as she did so. Slightly heartened by the sight of Scorpinok doing the same (though she was slightly surprised he could given that the broken cuffs were still around his wrists), she fired her thrusters up to their highest level, zooming away as fast as she could manage.

They hadn't gotten far before she noticed that Scorpinok's speed wasn't quite at the same level, prompting Alexis to slow down a tad so they were flying side by side. He tilted slightly on his axis after a few seconds, asking simply on the off chance there was any doubt, "You remember who you are, I take it?"

"Thanks to you," Alexis answered just as simply. "Now come on. We need to…"

She wasn't given a chance to finish before a volley of laser beams began shooting past her, causing her to yell out in fright and take evasive maneuvers. After a second, she powered up her rear sensors, hoping to get a sense of who was firing at them. The answer couldn't have been more terrifying.

It was Megatron, also in vehicle mode. And what was worse, he was gaining on them both at an alarming rate. Even Alexis, on full impulse, would not be able to escape before he'd be upon her.

"No!" Alexis said aloud, a hint of panic in her voice. More than anything, she feared being transformed back into the loyal subordinate he'd made her out to be. After a moment, she added, "We're going to have to fight him off, Scorpinok."

For what seemed like forever, her companion didn't say a word in response, then surprised her by answering, "Seems we won't have to bother… Cause here comes the cavalry."

Curious by what that meant, Alexis focused her attention forward once more, then had to transform back to her bot mode without breaking stride to be sure that her senses weren't deceiving her.

A large red and orange shuttlecraft had appeared in front of her and Scorpinok, seemingly out of nowhere. Given its proximity, she surely would have noticed it if it had been there seconds ago.

Alexis wasn't given long to question this before a hatchway opened near the top of the shuttle, and a similarly-colored bot came racing out onto the hull, brandishing a laser rifle of his own. It wasn't long before the mystery bot was shouting out to both her and Scorpinok to get inside, after which he began firing with near pinpoint accuracy towards Megatron to provide them with some cover.

Alexis was downright mystified by this development, but she didn't dare think of questioning such a godsend. Returning to her full speed, she zoomed towards the hatchway, slowing down and shifting back to her more standard mode so she could make her way inside. Roughly ten seconds later, Scorpinok, and then their savior, were following in her tracks.

The door had barely slid closed before their savior activated his comlink and barked out two simple words: "Now, Chromia!"

Alexis didn't even have to question what that meant, as she heard the unmistakable hum emanating throughout the entire shuttle to mark the activation of a warp engine. She had heard it enough times before, in all her years of association with the Autobots, to recognize it for what it was.

Not that they were safely out of harm's way, Alexis leaned back against the wall nearest her, feeling suddenly weary and scarcely believing that she and Scorpinok had made it. After a long moment, she looked up at the red and orange bot before her, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude. "I don't know who you are," she said awkwardly. "But… thank you."

He didn't answer except to look across at Scorpinok. "Thank Alpha Q… He's the one who hacked into our computers and said you needed help," their mystery savior said in a downright gruff tone. "And might I say, Scorpinok, that your sovereign definitely has a screw loose?"

Scorpinok let out a deep breath, his gaze wandering to Alexis. "I don't think we're out of the woods yet, Rodimus… Both the girl here and I may be outfitted with homing beacons which may allow Megatron to find us."

Rodimus offered a wry grin. "Then you're lucky to be with someone who has the means to detect such devices if there are any." A slight pause, and then, "Both of you, come with me…"

* * *

As she'd done with the surveillance feed at Ocean City, Misha was able to hack into the computer systems at the mainland base remotely and record enough footage to play on a loop. She and Kicker had made a brief pit stop at a local grocery to purchase a large amount of canned food and some clothes, but they were otherwise all prepared for the journey. Prior to his swim from Ocean City, Ironhide had secured their pre-packed bags, Kicker's battle armor, and an extra suit of space gear for Misha inside one of his water-tight compartments.

Once onboard the bridge of the desired shuttle (Misha had made sure to select one with its own warp engine), all participants, even High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock, were hard at work getting the ship ready to launch. Most notably, they were disabling both the GPS system/communications array and the remote piloting system. Needless to say, Kicker and Ironhide were extremely glad that Misha had been brought on board and that her mind was so keen that she'd been able to look at this escape plan from every angle.

Once the tasks were finished, all six partners in crime took a few moments to relax before they each seated themselves at various areas on the bridge. Once again, Misha took charge, instructing each of her companions (though there was some doubt that the three Mini-Cons even needed instruction) on how to prep the ship for launch.

Once this task was completed, she set about strapping herself in, inspiring Kicker and Ironhide to do likewise. "Be ready to warp away once we clear the atmosphere," Misha said simply, letting out a deep breath.

Seated next to her, Kicker reached out, catching her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. In return, Misha smiled warmly at him, and felt a small rush of excitement when he faced forward and said, "Okay, let's do this…"

* * *

Shortly after the alarms started blaring through Ocean City, Hot Shot, Jetfire, and Scavenger were gathered within the command center, each of them focused on the image of Carlos Lopez on the main screen as their human ally was frantically reporting that they'd lost one of their shuttles.

Even though the three Autobots in question weren't nearly as skilled with computers as Red Alert, they were still able to compile enough satellite footage to get a picture of what was going on. Once one shot revealed a clear view of the bridge's occupants through the main window, the trio were soon on their way to Ironhide's quarters to find out what was going on.

Needless to say, a detached beacon and a data pad offering an apology from Misha were the last things that Hot Shot, Jetfire, and Scavenger wanted to find waiting for them. After a very long moment of silence, Hot Shot said, "We're dead… Optimus is going to kill us when we tell him we lost Kicker!"

Jetfire shook his head. "Forget Optimus… I think I'd be more scared of what Kicker's parents are going to do to us…"

* * *

Following the flight of Scorpinok and the girl, Snowcat, likely fearing Megatron's wrath, had made himself scarce before the commander could make his way back to Unicron's remains. Tidal Wave and Sideways faced no such problems; it wasn't like Megatron could easily beat the stuffing out of either of them.

Still, Sideways was subjected to some minor questioning, as if the rogue bot might have some understanding of what had gone wrong. Once it became apparent to Megatron that Sideways couldn't shed any light on the subject, the Decepticon commander was soon announcing in a huff that he was going back to the battleship.

Megatron had barely left them before Sideways' attention was drawn to the colossal bot at his side when the latter said, "Tidal Wave glad that Storm Bringer's gone."

Sideways blinked, uncomprehending for an instant. _I was sure that Tidal Wave felt some sort of attraction towards her. Otherwise, why…?_ Sideways broke off mid-thought, as an outlandish realization hit him.

He'd misinterpreted just who Tidal Wave was jealous of!

Sideways shook his head in disbelief. He'd heard stories of some mechs (mostly Decepticons) who'd been either incorrectly or deliberately outfitted with a femme's spark, but Tidal Wave had never struck him as one such being. But for whatever reason, the big guy had wound up stuck in a body that didn't exactly befit him.

Sideways smiled wryly beneath his faceplate after a moment, tilting his head to one side. _Well, at least I can still have fun at Tidal Wave's expense…_

* * *

Alexis had to admit that she was hardly surprised when Rodimus, who'd been scanning her for any Decepticon beacons, did find one. In seconds, it had been removed and destroyed; the resulting scans of Scorpinok didn't produce any, much to her amazement. But clearly, Megatron hadn't been as concerned with keeping track of the latter.

Once the task was finished with, Scorpinok let out a breath and said, "I thank you for coming to our rescue when you did, Rodimus. We'd never have made it out intact without you."

Rodimus gave a single nod, then replied with, "Don't mention it… And now, we should be on our way. Alpha Q had requested that my girls and I bring you back to him."

Alexis bowed her head, tuning out the next part of the exchange. For a long moment, she remained silent, simply trying to process the events of the past two hours. Then, a small smile began to form at her lips, as she realized that she had all the information she needed. She'd be able to go home after all!

Gazing back up, Alexis loudly cleared her throat, causing both Rodimus and Scorpinok to look towards her. "Well, before we get too far… perhaps you could drop me off in the vicinity of Earth," she said softly.

Scorpinok froze after an instant, something in her optics cluing him in on something he'd overlooked. Silently, he berated himself for being so stupid; he should have known what the girl would be looking to achieve, once she had her memories back. As things stood, he couldn't have dug a bigger hole for himself and Alpha Q.

Scorpinok shifted his weight, adopting a semi-aggressive stance as he anticipated her reaction to what he was about to say. "I'm sorry," he said simply. "But I'm afraid I can't allow that."

There was a short silence, then she began laughing in amusement as though she thought he was joking. The humor in her optics died when she realized he was serious, and she was soon tensing in response. "You have no right to hold me here," she said, a hard note in her voice; Scorpinok didn't blame her.

Still, he was adamant when he said, "I can't allow Unicron to be destroyed by the Autobots."

Alexis tensed even more once this statement sunk in, even as she slowly began to realize that she was at something of a disadvantage. Still, she knew where at least one of the exits from this shuttle was; all she had to do was get there.

Alexis watched both Scorpinok and Rodimus intently, hardly surprised to see that the latter looked to be siding with the former. However, she got the sense that she shocked them both with how quickly she moved; she had detached her winged weapon and brought it around to the forefront in a lightning flash.

Rodimus had drawn a laser pistol in the same instant and was trying to fire off a shot when Alexis surged towards him, spinning off to the right and ducking as she did so. This maneuver allowed her to catch Rodimus around the left ankle with the edge of her weapon and pull his foot out from under him. Thrown off balance, her so-called savior was soon toppling towards Scorpinok.

Alexis didn't give either of them a chance to recover before she was racing through the door out into the hall. Swiftly, she backtracked the way she remembered coming. As she ran, she noticed that there were ceiling-mounted guns that were swiveling in her direction; Alexis vaguely recalled Rodimus making mention of another Transformer (Chromia) present on the ship.

The automated weapons were something of a hindrance, but Alexis was too determined to let them stop her. She relied on her own weapon to both shield her from the blasts and take them out at the source.

In either case, Alexis was not entirely prepared to see a hostile-looking blue femme awaiting her at the exit, brandishing a sword and blocking the door. After a couple tenuous seconds, Alexis said, as a warning, "I don't want to hurt you."

The other femme offered a smirk by way of reply, and said, "The feeling's not mutual…"

Gritting her metal teeth, Alexis rose to the challenge, moving forward and letting her determination fuel her as their weapons began to clash. Her opponent was skilled, but of the two of them, Alexis was the more resolute and imaginative. In the end, all it took was one very convincing feint, and the blue femme had been knocked off balance, crashing into the wall to the left of the airlock door.

Alexis wasted no time before hooking her weapon back into place and drawing her laser pistol to aim at the control panel next to the door. She had every confidence that the shot would short out the locking mechanism and cause the door to slide open; just knowing that she was virtually home free couldn't have had her in any higher spirits.

Unfortunately, it also made her careless.

Alexis literally hadn't heard the loud scuttling noise approaching from behind before something sharp slid into the area just below her neck, making her yell out in pain. Reflexively, she reached around to grasp at whatever was there, but was unable to reach it. In shock, Alexis half turned, and froze when she saw Scorpinok was just behind her in his beast guise, his tail slowly retracting away from her. In an instant, she realized what he had done, even as she felt her body beginning to go numb.

The stinger, which she remembered Scavenger saying acted as a sort of paralytic, had just been embedded in her.

Alexis took a half step back before she stumbled slightly. In the next instant, Scorpinok had switched back to his bot mode and was reaching for her, an enormous level of sorrow in his optics that surprised her.

"No," Alexis protested, wanting to fight him off but finding that she was already too weak. Shortly after he'd pulled her into his arms, Scorpinok nevertheless sank to his knees. Though she was sure that his look of regret was intended to try to make her understand, she was too angry to even care. And why not, since he, like Megatron, was so intent on keeping her from those she loved?

"I am sorry," Scorpinok said anyway. "But you left me no choice."

Alexis dimmed her optics, thinking simply, _Not again…_

* * *

Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this part of the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I am now over halfway through; there's roughly eighteen more chapters to go.

Past this point, the only canon character I will be introducing is going to be Shockblast (end of next chapter), but I will be throwing in Thundercracker of the Cybertron series as well to add some more balance to the Decepticon team.

Next up -- Alpha Q's/Scorpinok's true intentions revealed... and Optimus' fears of a planet-wide revolt are made real...


	22. Defining Moments

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: Those of you familiar with the Energon series know that nothing was revealed about Alpha Q and Scorpinok prior to when Unicron came to threaten their world. Much of the background you're about to read, including the characters of Nebulina, Wind Scar, and Solarblade, was born from my own imagination. I hope you all enjoy this add-on to the storyline._

_Chapter has been re-uploaded with an additional scene between Kicker and Misha._

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

In spite of Jetfire's prediction, the meeting with Brian and Miranda Jones the next morning wasn't all that terrible. Still, both of Kicker's parents were having a fit when they'd been told their son was missing.

Miranda was practically pulling at her hair when she said, in a raised, incensed tone, "How on Earth do you lose track of a teenage boy?! There are security cameras all over Ocean City, for crying out loud!"

Hot Shot bowed his head, shame-faced. Quietly, he said, "It's because Misha apparently helped him, and Ironhide, to pull this off… We didn't even know anything was up until a report came in from the Mars space station that one of our own shuttles was spotted departing Earth's atmosphere."

Dr. Jones rubbed at his eyes. "Well, then surely you have the means to get him back, right now!" he said in an equally-angry tone, his hands resting at his hips. A pause, and then, "If that boy thought we were hard on him before, he's in for the shock of his life!"

Feeling downright uncomfortable, Scavenger admitted, "We can't do that either." He went on to explain why, then said awkwardly, "From what we understand, Kicker and Ironhide are more or less determined to rescue their missing partner from Megatron."

Miranda's eyes widened. After a short silence, she blurted out, "What on Earth is he thinking, going after that tyrant?!" Miranda paused, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She turned towards her husband, looking so stricken and lost that he was inspired to pull her into his arms.

An instant later, Dr. Jones looked up at his three Autobot companions with a hard glint in his eyes. "I don't care what measures you have to take, but you do everything possible to get my son back home safely!"

Jetfire nodded. "You have our word," he promised…

*****

Once they'd made the jump to a remote sector far removed from Earth, Misha had surprised her partners in crime once more by stating that they'd better get some sleep before commencing with their journey. "We're more liable to make a mistake if we're not fully alert," she had said, to which Kicker and Ironhide agreed after a few seconds.

Still, Kicker faced a lot of trouble actually getting to sleep once he'd lain down on his bunk, as thoughts of Misha and her close proximity (in the room next to his) kept flooding through his mind. Later on, he would admit to being surprised that he was exercising such restraint, though it was partially due to his fear of pushing things too far too soon.

Kicker was even more surprised when Misha appeared in his doorway the next morning just as he was waking up, dressed in a light pink terrycloth robe and shyly presenting him with two choices for breakfast. "I didn't know if you'd want vegetable soup or ravioli," she said, her timidity raising his affection for her.

Kicker smiled at her, lazily shifting on the bunk so he could focus on her better. "I'll go with vegetable soup," he answered, causing Misha to offer a shy, warm smile in return. She was turning on her heel and departing for the kitchen before he could even so much as blink.

It didn't take Kicker very long to shower and get dressed before he was joining her for their morning meal. Fortunately, he had timed it just right; the soup was still warm enough.

He had just taken one sip, seated across the counter from her, before he smiled and said, "You added some lemon juice."

Misha nodded once. "I know you like it that way," she answered, sounding a tad nervous.

Kicker hesitated, then temporarily set his spoon down. He knew her well enough to determine why she was so uneasy and so felt compelled to put her at ease. "It's different, isn't it?" he started. "Being on our own for a change… save for Ironhide and the Mini-Cons, that is."

When Misha nodded, Kicker went on with, "You shouldn't be so nervous. When we kissed last night… It was nice. But I don't want you thinking that it means I expect something from you… Something that maybe neither of us is ready for."

Misha blinked once the words sunk in, then her demeanor relaxed and there was a glint of amazement in her eyes. "Wow," she said softly, causing Kicker to regard her curiously. In turn, she went on with, "I'm sorry. I just… never expected you to hit on something that I didn't realize we had in common." After a few seconds, she leaned forward slightly, her arm stretching across the countertop with her palm facing up in expectation.

After a brief hesitation, Kicker reached for her hand, clasping it in his. This time, it was he that was shy when he said, "You never told me what you thought of what my Dad had done…"

Misha pursed her lips. "I don't condone it, and I don't want you thinking that I ever would have. It's one thing that I wish you would have told me much sooner," she answered softly. A pause, and then, "From this point on, I want you to promise me something… That you will always stand by what you feel is right. And never let anyone say or do anything that makes you the victim, not even Megatron." Misha paused again, then added, "As much of a tyrant as he may be, even he knows on some level that you'd be much more valuable alive and unharmed, and he doesn't know you nearly well enough to hit you on an emotional level. If he ever were to capture you, Kicker, you could always use that against him."

Kicker remained silent for a beat, then said, "You almost sound worried that this mission of ours might take a turn for the worse."

Misha shook her head slightly. "I'm merely trying to prepare you for the possibility. Now are you going to promise me?" she said, the veracity in her tone causing him to laugh involuntarily.

Kicker rose to his feet, leaning over the countertop to gently kiss her on the forehead. "I promise," he said softly as he returned to his seat and, at her behest, resumed eating…

*****

Some time after her capture, Alexis found herself lying on her side in what she guessed was the ship's infirmary. Scorpinok had been "kind" enough to place her gently on one of the tables and, though he'd said that he didn't want her thinking that she was a prisoner, he hadn't removed the stinger. As Alexis discovered, in the time that she'd been left alone and to her own thoughts, she couldn't move at all, though she was still fully capable of speech.

Watching the paralyzed femme jet via a monitor on the bridge, Elita felt a strong sense of sympathy. Scorpinok had laid out all details of their "captive's" identity and predicament. Though Elita saw how Sky Dancer's goals conflicted with Scorpinok's, she knew it could be easily resolved.

Turning to look at Scorpinok and her father, Elita said gently, "If you tell her the truth -- what this has all been about -- she may be more inclined to trust us."

Scorpinok sighed. "I don't know if it would even do any good if I did," he said in a weary tone. "I couldn't have made her hate me any more at this point. She may not even listen to what I have to tell her."

Rodimus looked across at Scorpinok with crossed arms, though his demeanor was relaxed. "You'll never know unless you try… You did win over Chromia, Elita, and I, and we had no more cause to trust you than this girl does now." A pause, and then, "You told me that you'd once expressed a desire to negotiate a peace treaty with the Autobots. Convincing even one of them that you're **not **seeking to use Unicron for any evil purposes would help pave the way."

Scorpinok sighed again, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Very well." He looked at his three companions in turn before moving to march from the room and down to where Alexis/Sky Dancer was being held.

A mean look came to her blue optics the moment she got him in her sights, which she followed by saying in a surprisingly even tone, "I was a fool to think that you were actually any better than Megatron. Congratulations, Scorpinok. You're a much better master of deception… No, strike that. You're worse. At least he doesn't hide what he is."

Scorpinok took a step towards her, bowing his head in shame. It took him a full minute to offer a response. "You're partially right, I suppose," he answered quietly. "One thing I seem to be very good at is betraying those who put their trust in me… Even if it's never entirely my fault…"

Alexis bristled. "Don't you dare hold me accountable for your own actions!" she said in a heated tone.

Scorpinok gave a short, ironic laugh. "I wasn't talking about you," he answered simply, making her stop and regard him curiously. After a long moment, Scorpinok approached the table and seated himself in a nearby chair. Leaning forward and looking incredibly weary, he said, "I wish to tell you a story, if you'll let me. When I'm done… If you still hate me, then so be it. But I hope you'll realize by the time I'm finished that Alpha Q and I are not the monsters that you've made us out to be."

Alexis remained silent for a long moment, staring at him with a tiny hint of curiosity. At last, she simply said yes, and Scorpinok began with a soft sigh…

*****

There were so many perks that went with being intangible that Sideways was having trouble recalling why he'd had such a problem with it. For one thing, it was otherwise very hard to challenge Megatron and get away with it. Perhaps this was why the Decepticon commander had agreed to treat his newest recruit as an equal. _On some level_, Sideways mused, _maybe Megatron fears that I might be inspired to take over his precious empire._

At that thought, Sideways snorted, thinking simply, _As if! The Decepticons in general are too chaotic to ever make a good, long-lasting team. With the occasional exception, loyalty doesn't mean as much among their ranks._

Sideways was pulled from his musings when Megatron spoke; the former forced himself to recall his reasons for standing in the presence of his so-called leader. "Might I ask what you find so amusing, Sideways?" Megatron asked tiredly, his head leaned against one fist.

Sideways crossed his arms. "So, at last you speak," he said dryly. "Has to be a record, you being quiet for almost twelve hours. If I didn't know you better, I'd say that you were actually fond of this girl… I don't think I've ever seen you sulk for this long, not even after a lost battle."

Megatron bristled slightly, which Sideways took as a good sign. Strangely enough, he much preferred the angry, impatient commander to the sniveling, vulnerable one he'd been faced with for half a day. Sideways had even seen fit to relay a false message to Tidal Wave and Snowcat at one point to get them to stay at Unicron's remains for the time being; Megatron would never live it down if his other troops saw him in such a state.

"Scorpinok will pay for turning her against me," Megatron said, gesturing to the data pad that he'd found in the girl's room.

Sideways scoffed. "Sure," he said sarcastically. "It's okay for you to tamper with her mind, but Unicron forbid that anyone else do likewise…" A pause, and then, "Do you have any idea just how pathetic you sound?!"

Megatron growled in response. "Watch it, Sideways!" he warned.

Sideways' optics narrowed. "Oh, I don't think so. One of us has to be objective! So be it if it falls on my shoulders!" He took a step forward, stating in a no-nonsense tone, "So what if you no longer have this femme under your control? That doesn't change the fact that we still possess Unicron, that we still have the means to ultimately triumph over our enemies." A pause, and then, "What we're currently lacking in is firepower. Frankly, having only three soldiers under your lead is not going to cut it, Megatron... It wouldn't hurt to seek out more troops to aid in our cause."

Megatron remained silent for a time, thinking this through before abruptly activating his comlink. "Snowcat, Tidal Wave," he barked out, already sounding more like his normal self. "I'm in need of your advisement… I'd say it's high time we spread the word to the Decepticon soldiers on Cybertron of my, shall we say, return from the dead…"

*****

"For you to understand exactly how we've arrived at this point, I would need to start from the very beginning," Scorpinok said softly. After a short pause, he continued, "I suppose I must first tell you that I called Cybertron home once, a very, very long time ago."

"That I know," Alexis interrupted. Off of the look her gave her, she said, "One of the Autobots was able to identify you by name, said he knew you from before the war… As I understand it, you, and a group of pacifists you'd allied with, fled once the fighting broke out."

Scorpinok nodded absently. "Truthfully, only one among the group was a true pacifist. The rest of us had all been in training to be soldiers At one time, I thought that that was all I wanted out of life." He hesitated, a glazed look coming to his optics as though he were lost in memories of better times. "Early on, I became a believer that sometimes it takes only one being of strong character and charisma to change the world. In this case… Her name was Nebulina."

Scorpinok leaned back in his chair, giving a deep sigh. "Nebulina was the embodiment of everything that's good and just in this universe, and she was a very strong advocate of peace. Yet, once the war began, her message of such things became more and more of a threat to those in the Decepticon ranks." Scorpinok laughed briefly. "She was such a stubborn femme that it took a total of six assassination attempts before any of her most devoted followers could convince her that staying on Cybertron was getting too perilous. Still, I think the only reason she chose to leave, along with me and five hundred others, was because of the promise of establishing a new way of life, independent of our home planet."

Alexis hesitated, silently admitting in spite of herself that her interest was piqued. "You speak of her as if she's your leader…?"

Scorpinok bowed his head, a flash of pain showing in his optics. "She was. Alpha Q came later." Another silence ensued, in which Alexis realized that Nebulina was being referred to in the past tense. Feeling slightly somber, she encouraged Scorpinok to go on and that she'd allow him to talk uninterrupted.

Scorpinok rubbed at his face with one hand. "I'm not sure how long we traveled, the entire group divided between five shuttles, before we found an uninhabited planet that we'd come to call home -- a desert world, no less. Nebulina fell in love with it, called it beautiful. She came to call it Planet Q, a shortened version of the Cybertronian word for five, in honor of the founding ships. However, even though there were very rarely any storms, many of us couldn't tolerate the sand in our standard forms. Eventually, we all took on the guise of beasts in order to better survive.

"It took an entire century, but eventually, we had a city in which to live. It was nothing like the structures on Cybertron; most buildings were constructed using the planet's natural resources, such as clay and crystallized sand. For a time, the population lived in harmony, with Nebulina as the leader we all looked to and adored." Scorpinok hesitated, his optics just as glazed over as when he'd begun this tale. "But as is the case on all planets, idyllic life is not meant to last forever. There are those that grow restless, and then bitter."

Scorpinok looked over at Alexis with a haunted look in his red optics. "And then comes revolution…"

*****

The day had started off so pleasantly that both Optimus and Red Alert could not foresee any problem lurking in the background. For a number of hours that morning, the medic virtually had the Autobot commander at his mercy, as he spent some time retrofitting Optimus with a pair of workable booster rockets. As both of them would discover, as noontime rolled around, the task was proving to be a success; a test of the devices showed they were adequate.

Following this analysis, Optimus and Red Alert had retreated to the Autobot command center of Cybertron, where the former was quick to ask for an update from Rad on the construction progress of the towers. This endeavor, too, was moving ahead better than the commander could have hoped, as a large number of Transformers (Autobot, Decepticon, and neutrals alike) were endeavoring to construct the force field grid for the planet. If Optimus had to hazard a guess, it was fear over Unicron's rumored return that was motivating the majority of the workers.

Rad turned to look up at Optimus and Red Alert at the question; neither Autobot was surprised to see a shadow of pain in the young man's eyes. Rad had been rather melancholy since they'd told him about the situation with Alexis. Clearing his throat, he said, "Still moving ahead. I'd say we've got one-fourth of Cybertron covered already… If we keep progressing at this rate, we should have the planet secure in the next two to three days."

Optimus breathed a sigh of relief, turning his gaze towards the main screen set in the floor and fully prepared to offer a positive reply. The words died on his lips, however, when the monitor suddenly flickered and subsequently went to static. Perplexed, the commander started to look towards Red Alert, but froze when he saw that all of the screens in the room had likewise died.

Optimus didn't even have time to think that this couldn't be good before the picture returned, all screens ominously set to display the exact same image. Before the lone figure on the monitors even spoke, the Autobot commander's dread rose to unimaginable heights.

Wearing a wry grin, Megatron (shown in his old, much more recognizable form) began, his words implying that this was a planet-wide broadcast, "Greetings to all Decepticons present on Cybertron… As I imagine all of you are surprised to see a familiar face, let me say that rumors of my demise have been contrived."

Red Alert was moving even before Megatron had finished speaking, seating himself in front of the nearest computer and frantically typing in an attempt to terminate the broadcast. After a minute, the medic uncharacteristically backed away with a growl, slamming his hands down on the console to show his frustration. Turning towards Optimus with gritted teeth, Red Alert said tersely, "It's no good! We've been locked out of our own system!" A slight pause, and then, "I can't shut it down!"

Optimus barely had time to process this before both his comlink and Red Alert's buzzed to life, delivering reports from all Autobots within range. In moments, the Autobot commander and medic, and their human ally, were given a clear cut picture of how disastrous things were about to become.

According to the field reports, this video was being played all over Cybertron, even independent of monitors. Slightly disbelieving of this claim, Optimus turned to run outside, with Red Alert following after a moment. But, as they would find, the broadcast _was _being portrayed such; the sky was filled with freestanding view screens everywhere the Autobot commander looked. It took only a few moments to get the gist of Megatron's message; odds were great that the entire planet was soon going to fall into pure chaos.

The two words that escaped Optimus' lips pretty much summed up the situation: "Oh, slag…"

*****

"Among those who fled Cybertron with Nebulina were mechs and/or femmes who had the propensity to follow the Decepticon way. The worst among them were like shadows of Megatron… Over time, they stopped hearing Nebulina's message of peace and began to want something more." A pause, and then, "She was never the type to deny anyone the right to lead their life as they chose, but you know how Decepticons can be. Consumed by greed, this rogue group sought to overturn everything we'd built. I have no doubt that they would have assassinated Nebulina, and that one among them would have appointed themselves as leader in her stead.

"But they didn't count on me."

Scorpinok remained silent for so long, following this lone statement, that Alexis was compelled to ask, "You stopped them, I take it?"

Scorpinok nodded. "I did," he said quietly. "For all the good it did…" He remained silent for a long time, then continued with, "One of Nebulina's greatest qualities was also one of her greatest faults. She did not believe in dispensing retribution or punishment. Though she trusted me to the point that she appointed me as her personal bodyguard, she would not heed my warnings that more definitive action needed to be taken."

Alexis gave a very short, ironic laugh. "Sounds like Gandhi." Off of Scorpinok's (almost comical) look, she grew serious once more and said, "Never mind… You were saying?"

Scorpinok sighed. "I had turned to Wind Scar, my closest friend and someone I'd known since I was a youngling on Cybertron, for aid in protecting our leader. He was a technical genius and soon became the head of security for our planet." Scorpinok put one hand to his brow, gesturing to the visor that was resting there. "He's the one who built for me a private, immediate way for either himself or Nebulina to reach me, at a moment's notice."

Scorpinok took a moment to explain about the communication screen, then went on with, "Nevertheless, Nebulina soon decided that perhaps what our planet needed was a way to expand our ranks, to bring into being a new generation of sparklings. It was her hope that giving the rebels something else to focus on would quell the feelings of unrest. I suppose nothing eases social unrest more than change.

"She met with a small group of mechs who were known for having the most brilliant minds. Seeing as we didn't have an Iacon chamber to draw Transformer sparks from, we had to come up with a way to create new ones all on our own." Scorpinok lightly chewed at his lower lip. "The sparklings that were born on my planet were the result of the splicing together of two pre-existing sparks.

"I have to hand it to her, Nebulina had come up with a good plan. For a time, it seemed to be working; even those with thoughts of rebellion in their sparks melted when faced with these new, innocent little beings."

Alexis blinked, quite interested now though also wondering what any of this had to do with the current situation. But, she assumed that Scorpinok would soon be tying past and present together. To move things along, she asked, "Did you participate in this endeavor?"

Scorpinok shook his head. "At the time, no. But then, neither did Nebulina… I once told her that I felt I would never make a good role model, as far as being a parent goes. I never knew, at that point in my planet's history, why she wouldn't want a child, an heir, if you will." He paused once more. "If not for Wind Scar, there might not have been a problem. But he was always one to think outside the box, and he feared what might happen if another rebellion came about and should end badly.

"Thus, when the tenth generation sparklings were brought into being, Nebulina, under the encouragement of Wind Scar and myself, produced a son." Scorpinok sighed deeply, looking downwards. "His name was Solarblade, and you would never have guessed by looking at him that he could ever be anything other than innocent…"

*****

Among those working (so to speak) on the towers had been a young neutral mech known as Thundercracker. Just before the broadcast had been initiated, he had snuck off into a nearby alley for one of his unauthorized breaks, getting a good private laugh over how peeved the construction "manager" would be when she discovered he had once again gone missing.

Thundercracker leaned against the building behind him, lost in a daydream of better times. With a soft sigh, he recalled the final days of the first war and how he had been so enthused about joining the military. Had the coming of Unicron not brought it all to an end, he might have gotten his wish… in spite of the fact that both factions, in the aftermath, had crushed his hopes of becoming a soldier.

Thundercracker scoffed at the memory, derisively thinking that those Autobot and Decepticon recruitment officers didn't know what they were talking about when they'd said he did not have what it took to make it in the big (or little) leagues. Recollections of the half-afted explanation about him being all talk and no walk grated at him to this day.

Once Megatron's message began transmitting, Thundercracker's gaze was riveted towards the sky over his location. The more he listened to this proverbial call to arms, the more excited he got. _At last,_ he thought. _I may have just gotten my wish_…

*****

"I never found out who Solarblade's co-creator was. I suppose it doesn't matter,"

Scorpinok said wearily. "Either way, you would think that someone with such a pure heart could never produce such a monster.

"Solarblade proved to be an inquisitive and demanding young bot, who was never content until he'd had something thoroughly explained to him. Nebulina, Wind Scar, and I never minded; we all adored him so much that we were quite tolerable of his demands… He grew up to be very skilled in all things, from the use of weaponry to engineering to architecture. If there were any warning signs that he didn't share Nebulina's ideals, he did a good job of concealing them. Either that, or we were all just too blind to the fact that he could be capable of such evil."

Feeling cold, Alexis asked simply, "What did he do?"

Scorpinok dimmed his optics for a long while, as though he were trying to gather the strength needed to revisit this particular memory. "Solarblade knew that he had to go through me in order to get to Nebulina. And because he knew I trusted him, his plans were made all too easy to pull off." Scorpinok focused back on her. "He did to me what Megatron had done to you. However, I wasn't quite so fortunate as you, Sky Dancer. Nebulina was slain by my own hand…"

Another silence ensued, broken when Scorpinok continued with, "I thank Primus that Wind Scar saw the truth of things. But then, he knew me well enough to see that I wasn't myself. I would never have hurt her otherwise." A pause, and then, "Though Solarblade did everything he could to make our people fall in under his lead, Wind Scar was able to incite a revolution to overthrow our treacherous sovereign… My old friend subsequently restored my mind and threw in some measures to ensure that my CPU could not be tampered with again, by any means." A very faint, fleeting smile appeared at Scorpinok's lips. "That may be why your youngling, Starxis, was unable to read my thoughts."

"How…?" Alexis started, only to break off and begin again. "That's right. Alpha Q knows that Starxis has telepathic abilities…"

Scorpinok gave a slight nod of acknowledgment and let out a deep breath, looking so tired that Alexis was surprised he was even able to go on. "Back to the story… Solarblade was not unlike Megatron in that he was obsessed with war. We found out later that he had been building a weapon within the core of our world, designed to fire a missile powerful enough to wipe out a small planet. Maybe he had hoped to one day transfer it to a warship. I don't know just what his aims were, but oddly enough, Solarblade's madness would end up benefiting us one day, in a manner of speaking."

"While the rebuilding and healing process, among the entire population, was going on, Wind Scar presented me with a message from Nebulina, which she had apparently recorded sometime after the first generation sparklings were born. I have never felt more pain before or since… She told me that she had loved me for a very long time, and that she had never known how to tell me or even how I'd react if she did. Ironically, it seems Nebulina always viewed me as standoffish, though we were very good friends. Perhaps she had even wanted Solarblade to be mine as well as hers.

"I learned through this recording as well as from Wind Scar that Nebulina had stored away part of her spark, in the event that anything ever happen to her. In accordance with her wishes, I allowed a fragment of my own spark to be taken and spliced together with hers to create a new being, a future ruler for our planet.

"And thus was born Alpha Q…"

*****

Almost as soon as the first reports of rioting came in, Optimus had zoomed back into the command center, giving a silent thanks that Megatron's broadcast had ceased and that they had control of their computer systems once more. Thus, he wasted no time before sending a transmission out to all colonies on Earth, telling his suspicions that Megatron had used Unicron's abilities to initiate this broadcast and demanding the presence of all his most seasoned and/or trusted warriors.

Optimus was there to greet them all at the Warp Gate in a nearby room of the building, not even hesitating before he began handing out orders on how to deal with the situation. The gist of it was that he wanted them to split up (so they'd be able to cover more ground) in order to exercise damage control in whatever way they felt best.

When questioned by Starscream, Optimus told the jet to focus on the most problematic areas and use his best judgment on how to get things under control.

In the next instant, Optimus turned away and started to say, "Now, Ironhide…" He broke off, startled when he noticed that the Autobot rookie wasn't present. Drawing conclusions, he shifted to look towards Hot Shot and said tersely, "I told you to bring Ironhide as well! Where is he?!"

Hot Shot went to perusing the floor, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck. "Yeah," he said weakly, dreading having to reveal this and what Optimus' reaction was going to be. "We were going to tell you about that…"

*****

Following this latest revelation, Scorpinok remained silent for such a long time that Alexis had to prompt him to go on. "This is an interesting story and all, but you have yet to get to the point." she said testily. "What does any of this have to do with what's going on now?" She paused, then added, "If you tell me that Alpha Q is anything like Solarblade…"

"He's not," Scorpinok interrupted, such vehemence in his tone that Alexis couldn't help but believe him. "Growing up, Alpha Q always had a gentle air about him. He was very much like Nebulina in that regard; he didn't have it in him to be cruel. He loved and respected life. And, like his brother before him, he had a brilliant mind." Scorpinok hesitated. "I, on the other hand, had learned my lesson, though I must admit to perhaps being a little extreme in ensuring there would not be a repeat occurrence… I shielded him as much as I could, made sure he'd never know such concepts as war and would never seek to cause strife. And, to keep him more objective, I treated him only as a student and friend, never told him that I was one of his creators.

"Imagine what a shock it was, for the entire population of my planet, and for our sovereign most of all, when Unicron came to destroy our world…" To clarify this for her, he added, "This event occurred almost eight Earth years ago."

Alexis' optics glazed over, an indescribable feeling welling up inside her. "So, Unicron found a way back to our universe…"

Scorpinok nodded. "He did." A slight pause, and then, "None of my people had ever expected a threat of this magnitude, and we were almost ill-prepared to do anything about it… Unicron was near enough to the planet that we were able to fire on him from the ground or air, but our standard weapons were not powerful enough to have any effect on him."

Alexis recalled his earlier statement. "You knew of one that was."

Scorpinok nodded solemnly. "We had discovered Solarblade's weapon roughly two months earlier, and had been debating what to do with it. There was even some discussion that it might be unstable, and, should we dismantle it, we could risk blowing up the planet's core… I took the chance that it just might be our only way to stop Unicron. By this point, my planet's army had been decimated. Even my friend, Wind Scar, had been killed, and I must admit to being desperate to save those who were still alive.

"When I arrived at the palace to enter the core of our world, Alpha Q was there, alone and very scared. He was almost irrational, begging that we just gather together the remainder of our people and flee. When I told him my plan… He ordered me not to do it, and I disobeyed. I made my way to the lift that would take me down and was on my way before he could stop me." Scorpinok hesitated once more. "I can still see him kneeling down by the shaft, piteously pleading with me not to do this."

Scorpinok dimmed his optics, keeping them dark when next he spoke. Given what he had to say, Alexis understood that it was an enormous burden to carry. "The good news is that the missile was indeed powerful enough to destroy Unicron. The bad news is that firing it overloaded the cannon, caused an equally-powerful explosion." Scorpinok remained silent for a long while, and then, "In trying to save us, I destroyed our planet from within… I killed everything I had come to care so deeply about."

Alexis considered this, then grew puzzled. "If that's the case, then how are you and Alpha Q still here?"

Scorpinok lit his optics back up so he could focus on her. "Because somehow, Alpha Q's spark endured, even after his physical form was destroyed. He would tell me later that he remained in the vicinity of our lost world, mourning everything that was now gone. The loneliness, coupled with the memory of being betrayed by the one he had always looked up to and trusted the most, is what I believe shattered what was left of his mind."

"After half a year, Alpha Q ventured into Unicron's ruins, seeking answers as to why this had happened. I'm told that Unicron had been rendered inactive ever since that day…" Scorpinok hesitated. "I don't know how to accurately describe how Alpha Q was able to tap into the powers and memory banks of our destroyer, but my sovereign discovered a way to build a new form for himself from within Unicron.

"From this point, Alpha Q's quest for answers led him to a startling revelation. Bear in mind, he did not know at the outset, nor did I, that Unicron was a god-like being. Granted, Unicron is a being of pure malevolence, who has come to devote all his energy into death and destruction, but he is still an omnipotent entity. And, as proven by his progeny -- the Mini-Cons -- Unicron can create life as well as take it away."

Scorpinok sighed deeply, seeing by the glint in Alexis' optics that, though she may suspect where this was going, she looked uncertain. "Now, imagine the possibilities. Unicron was virtually powerless at this point, made so weak and defenseless that it wouldn't take much for anyone to seize control of him, body and spark. For someone like Alpha Q, who saw an opportunity to set things right, it was almost too good to be true."

Alexis hesitated, then her lips parted slightly in shock. Had she been able to move, she surely would have raised one hand towards her mouth to convey her astonishment. In a soft, almost inaudible tone, she said, "You've been seeking to recreate the planet you called home…"

Scorpinok nodded once more. "And therein lies the reason that we can't risk losing Unicron. If he were destroyed, then my world and Alpha Q's may well be gone forever… However, we would need to collect a tremendous amount of power to pull off such a feat. The Energon needed to reconstitute a single being is nothing compared to what it would take to regenerate an entire planet."

After a long silence, Scorpinok continued, "If I'd had a say in all this from the get-go, then the attacks against your bases in Earth's solar system would never have taken place. But Alpha Q didn't revive me until after, as I understand it, he'd organized the raid against your lunar base. As I would learn, the reason he'd waited so long was because he needed those in-between years to work through the pain of my betrayal and forgive me." A pause and then, "Well, that and… In spite of everything, he trusted me more than he did Sideways at that point."

"Sideways?!" Alexis said, greatly startled. But then, she realized how absurd she sounded; why should she be so surprised to learn that the rogue bot was a part of this?

"He'd been restored, partially, by Unicron just before your first war ended. Perhaps, if Sideways had not been left as a ghost and incapable of venturing beyond the boundaries of his master's body, we'd not have encountered any problem. You, and the other Transformers on Earth, could just as easily have been left alone, and Alpha Q would have sought a means of power elsewhere." Scorpinok sighed. "In this case, two things were working against all of us. Sideways was seeking to manipulate my sovereign for his own ends. And Alpha Q, being so young still, is not the most discerning of bots."

Alexis, though she was starting to understand, asked, ""How young are we talking?"

Scorpinok looked at her with a tiny amount of pain in his red optics. "Alpha Q's age and/or mentality is roughly equal to that of an eight-year-old human child."

Alexis dimmed her optics after a moment, trying to absorb the enormity of this single statement. While it explained so much, it also caused her a surprisingly great degree of emotional pain. _No one should have to die that young,_ she mused sadly.

When at last she focused back on him, Scorpinok continued with, "You know how things developed from there. Tidal Wave, and then Cyclonus, were turned to our team, though primarily through trickery. This, too, was Sideways' idea, the fact that they be told we were looking to revive Megatron with the stolen Energon." He hesitated, seeing no need to explain this last statement; she'd heard from the Decepticon commander himself how he had survived.

"Let me guess. Something went wrong," Alexis said dryly.

Scorpinok bowed his head slightly. "It was the laser turrets that the Autobots had installed at their bases," he answered. "Seeing that continued raids against the mines on Earth were impossible, I went to Alpha Q to suggest an alternate means of collecting Energon. In turn, he ordered that Tidal Wave and Cyclonus be dispatched." Scorpinok went on to explain the reasoning behind this and why he hadn't be inclined to disobey. "After the way I'd betrayed Alpha Q before, I vowed to do everything possible to make amends, even if such acts went against everything I believed in.

"I don't think that any of us could have anticipated that Megatron would engineer his own comeback, supposedly because the lives of his men were being threatened," Scorpinok said simply. He went on to tell her of Alpha Q's subsequent escape and his side of the fiasco with Sideways, then leaned back in his chair, a deep sigh passing through his lips. After the tale he'd told, Alexis wasn't the least bit surprised by how tired he looked.

After another long silence, Scorpinok said wearily, "So, now you know everything… Tell me, Sky Dancer. Would you still be inclined to run, if I were to let you go?" There was another silence, then he rose to his feet without waiting for a response. "You know what? Forget I asked that." He approached the table on which she was resting, silently reaching over her; in spite of everything he'd just told her, Alexis had to admit to being surprised when he removed the stinger.

Scorpinok sighed, backing up so he could focus on her once more. "You'll be able to move again in a few minute's time… You were right, Sky Dancer, when you said I had no right to hold you here, even if it was the only way I could get you to hear me out." A pause, and then, "You're free to go home. We won't stop you this time." He turned and walked towards the door, then added as an afterthought, "All I ask is that you don't deny Alpha Q and I the means to achieve our own ends."

With that, he offered her the code needed to open the airlock door and was gone from the room, leaving Alexis staring after him in wonder while the toxin slowly dissipated from her system…

*****

All later stories of this phenomenon would say that there was not one area of Cybertron that went untouched. But none created as much panic as the one that resounded through the halls of the planet's maximum security prison. In the initial aftermath, many of the Autobot (though also a handful of Decepticons) guards had their hands full with the bots who were taking Megatron's message seriously. So much so that they couldn't pay much heed to those who were locked up.

In a solitary cell in the heart of the prison, Shockblast slowly lifted his head, the sound of Megatron's words echoing in his mind. While he was surprised to know that the Decepticon commander still lived, he gradually began to brighten under the revelation that the war just might be starting anew. It had been so very long since Shockblast had felt anything other than hopelessness; he had almost given up hope of ever seeing the light of day again.

Clenching his right fist, Shockblast began pulling at the chains binding his arms and legs to the wall with a renewed vigor, very much determined to break free and take his rightful place amongst the Decepticon team…

*****

When Alexis was finally able to move, she gingerly drew herself up, shifting into a sitting position with her legs hanging off the side of the table. Though she had every intention of getting to her feet and making her way to the shuttle's exit, she found herself inexplicably frozen in place, Scorpinok's words playing over and over in her head like a broken record.

After a long while, Alexis dimmed her optics and bowed her head, letting out a sigh as an image of Starscream and Starxis came to mind. In the next instant, she climbed to her feet and began moving, knowing exactly what she now had to do.

It didn't take her very long to find Scorpinok, as he was positioned in front of a window in a nearby corridor, gazing out at the stars. Wordlessly, she stepped up next to him, mildly surprised when he didn't turn to gaze at her. Quietly, Alexis said, "I have just one question… If you and Alpha Q were to get your world back, would you then hand Unicron over to the Autobots to do with as we wish?"

Scorpinok gave a single nod, letting out a deep sigh as he did so. Alexis hesitated a moment before going on with, "Then you're going to need help in wresting him away from Megatron." She looked up at Scorpinok. "To start with, I'd like to meet with Alpha Q…"

* * *

_Author's Notes: S__orry there wasn't much coverage of the revolt on Cybertron, but I will be focusing on it a lot more in the next chapter. Stay tuned._ :)


	23. Turning Points

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: Sorry it's been such a long time since the last update. Aside from being very busy over the holidays and making a failed attempt to write a new Christmas story, I've not had very much time for writing. You can thank the deadbeat co-workers whose shifts I've had to cover more often than I liked._

_I hope you all enjoy this long-awaited update to the story. Promise to have the next installment out much sooner. Thank you all for being so patient._

Chapter 22

When Scorpinok at last looked over at her, he was quick to note that she might want to go see his friends on the bridge for the purpose of repairing the gouge in her chassis, at the back of her neck. Still, Alexis spent a minute studying him as he returned his gaze to the window, a wave of sympathy washing over her. At last, she turned away, simply musing, _No wonder Nebulina viewed him as standoffish… Scorpinok probably doesn't even realize how detached he can be at times._

Three sets of optics came to focus on Alexis once she entered the bridge, making her slightly uneasy. The blue femme seated at the console on the far right must have noticed this, for she leaned back in her chair, adopting a carefree pose. "No hard feelings?" the blue femme asked, her tone indicating that she was just being polite and probably didn't care one way or the other.

The other (fuchsia pink) femme seated at the nearby console looked sharply at her companion. "Be nice, Chromia," she scolded.

Chromia smirked. "I was being nice, Elita," she answered, slowly and deliberately.

Alexis tilted her head downwards a notch, interrupting the "fight" by quietly saying, "There's no hard feelings." After a brief moment, she looked back up and added, gesturing towards her neck, "Scorpinok said you'd be able to fix me."

Rodimus cleared his throat after a second, rising to his feet, holding one hand out towards her in an amenable gesture. "Of course," he said, taking a step backwards and to the right, the look in his optics indicating that Alexis should follow his lead.

If anything, the femme jet was perplexed when he stopped at a nearby console, keying in some command or other, which in turn caused an adjacent metal chamber to open with a loud hiss. Off of her wary look, Rodimus gave a short ironic laugh. "There's nothing to fear," he said simply. A pause, and then, "This is what's called a Cryogenic Restoration chamber, or CR for short… It's what me and mine use for lack of our own personal medic. Perfectly safe, I assure you." He offered Alexis a reassuring smile. "You'll be as good as new in a matter of minutes."

Alexis gave a shaky smile, but moved to step inside regardless, letting out a sigh as Rodimus keyed in a second command to seal her within the chamber. Later on, she would describe the process as akin to being bathed in pure energy, not unlike the process that she'd seen Hot Shot go through to have his arm restored. The only difference was that Alexis remained fully conscious throughout the procedure, and she came out of it never feeling more refreshed or energized.

Given the smile she was wearing when she emerged, her companions were given every indication of just how wonderful she felt and perhaps left to reflect on something they'd potentially taken for granted.

Alexis responded to Rodimus' subsequent offer for her to sit with a nod, and thanked him when he offered her a cup of some kind of ice blue fluid. She took a small sip, marveling for a few seconds over the sweet aftertaste the liquid left in her mouth and throat.

Idly musing over how gracious her hosts were being now, Alexis looked up and said, "How do the three of you figure into all this?" A brief pause, and then, "From what I heard you say after rescuing us from Megatron, you're obviously not from Scorpinok's planet, Rodimus."

He offered a faint smile. "You're very observant." Rodimus leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms and adopting a lazy pose. He went on to tell her of his origins and how he and his girls had met and befriended Scorpinok, then added, "As to why we decided to help him… There's two reasons. Firstly, the odds are great that his and Alpha Q's world, once it's brought back, will be rich with Energon deposits. There'd be more than enough to go around, for all involved parties… It would even make up for what's been stolen from you and yours."

Alexis bowed her head slightly, simply thinking that that did make sense. The Energon used to recreate this planet would undoubtedly leave its mark upon the world. "And the second reason?" she asked after a moment.

"Because I have no desire to see Megatron succeed in what he hopes to accomplish," Rodimus answered. "Times were bad enough when he was limited to the standard weapons and soldiers under his command, during the first war. With a God at his disposal, there's no restrictions to what he'd be capable of." Rodimus turned to look at Elita and Chromia, pausing a moment before saying, "It was Megatron who ordered the bombing that nearly killed my girls here… I can't even begin to tell you just how many lives were lost that day."

Alexis remained silent for a time, simply staring blankly into the cup that was still in her hands. She'd known that the first war among the Transformers had lasted for a very long time, but she'd never given much thought to the fact that there were some, like Scorpinok and Rodimus, who'd abandon Cybertron for a different way of life.

She wondered just how many such beings were out there.

After a long moment, Alexis' wandering thoughts eventually caused her to look over at Chromia and say simply, a questioning note in her tone, "You handle a weapon very well."

Chromia almost looked proud, as though she'd been paid a compliment. Speaking just as cavalierly as she'd been earlier, she said, "Rodimus here taught me everything I know. It's come in handy a number of times… You wouldn't believe how many suckers there are out there, thinking that little old me couldn't best them in a fight."

Alexis blinked, and was marveling over Chromia's similar personality to Ironhide when her attention was caught by Elita. It seemed that bickering was common amongst the two sisters. Shaking her head, Elita stated, "Twenty-two thousand years, and you still can't call him father."

Rodimus and Alexis watched their two companions squabbling for a minute before the former called for them to give it a rest and requested that they give him and their guest a private moment to talk. Once the other two femmes had left the bridge, Rodimus said, "You'll have to forgive my girls. It's just been the three of us for a long time; Chromia and Elita are not used to having company." He paused, then went on with, "Now, Sky Dancer… You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

Alexis told him to feel free; after a couple seconds, he continued. "We'll be reaching Alpha Q's base of operations in about three hours time, going by the coordinates given by Scorpinok. From there, it will only be a matter of time before you'll get to return home… Until then, you're welcome to everything we have to offer."

Alexis nodded, raising the cup once more to her lips to take a sip. "Thank you, Rodimus," she answered.

He gave her a small smile. "You're very welcome."

She took another sip, then hesitated, taking a moment to study him in detail. If his framework was any indication, then she had a pretty good idea of what his vehicle mode was. And, as she was thinking about it, she realized that she knew what Elita's and Chromia's were as well. "You've been to Earth at some point…?" Alexis asked hesitantly.

Rodimus' smile widened somewhat. "Not personally, no," he answered, leaning forward. "But there have been many of our race that have visited this world, down through the ages. More than I imagine even Optimus realizes." A pause, and then, "One of the planets I trade with -- Velocitron… The residents had long ago planted a transmitter in a key location on Earth, providing them with a good and permanent surveillance feed of your world as its technology progressed. They gravitate towards race cars or muscle cars… I've heard rumors of two other Transformer-inhabited planets who had done likewise -- planted transmitters -- but I don't know much of them beyond that."

Rodimus paused again, then changed the subject with, "So, do you know what you might say to Alpha Q, once we get there?"

Alexis nodded once. "I have some idea…"

*****

As the minutes ticked by, the situation on Cybertron began to improve, little by little. As many of the Autobots would report in the aftermath, there were a large number of Decepticons that needed to be forcefully subdued and put under arrest. Many of them were handled swiftly and went down without any big fuss. Still, Starscream was glad that Starxis had once more agreed to be on his own, though in the company of Rad and Dr. Jones; it would have otherwise been too challenging to focus on both riot control and keeping his adopted child out of harm's way.

Having just put down a group of Decepticon civilians who'd pinned down all those in shooting distance, Starscream didn't even wait for a word of thanks before taking to the skies once more, swiftly seeking out his next target. He found it less than two blocks away, but hesitated for a few seconds as he was shocked by just who was causing the trouble here.

The mech below went by the name of Stormshock, and he was one of the few Decepticons who had followed in Starscream's footsteps after the first war ended. From what the jet knew of his fellow land-based comrade, Stormshock had gradually realized that his ideals mirrored those of the Autobots, causing him to switch sides.

_How dare he!_ Starscream thought angrily as he observed the way Stormshock was leading a small team that was terrorizing a group of innocent femmes. It was sure proof that the mech in question was a coward, for having picked just this method to demonstrate the power trip he was on. Driven by rage at the way Stormshock had a gun pointed at the head of one near-hysterical femme, Starscream soared in, transforming just before he reached the insurrectionists.

Stormshock looked up at the sound accompanying Starscream's transformation, but only had a split-second before the jet slammed into him with enough force to knock him to the ground.

Had they not had an audience, Starscream would surely have laid into the guy with a string of obscenities. Swiftly, he put one foot to Stormshock's chest to keep him down, then quickly went about shooting the weapons out of the hands of the four others who were present.

His orange optics ablaze, Starscream was able to warn all five rebels against trying anything funny, vaguely aware that the femmes were looking at him with gratitude before running for cover. In a low tone that demonstrated the disappointment that had been building up to this point, he said, "Seems I was a fool to actually think that spending ten years out of Megatron's rule would make the Decepticons think twice about letting history repeat itself."

Stormshock actually had the nerve to look irate. "That's fine talk coming from a traitor."

Starscream growled, and had hauled Stormshock to his feet before any of the rebels could fully realize it. "Let's get something straight!" he barked out. "Megatron is the one who betrayed me first! Anything I might have done afterwards was very much justified!"

Starscream paused, then went on with, "Has the past decade really been that terrible for you? Or are all of you such narrow-minded fools that you forgot that Unicron was manipulating us for millions of years so that he could grow in power?! Are you really dumb enough to think that a god can be indefinitely controlled by one of us, even by Megatron?!" Another pause, and then, "Now are you going to help undo the damage caused by Megatron's broadcast, or should I just place you all under arrest now?"

The affirmations that came (from four of the five, at least) imbued Starscream with a small degree of hope. He thought back to Scavenger's words and remembered something that Alexis had said to him many years ago: _"The more you deny Megatron what he hopes to achieve, the more you hurt him."_ And just maybe, he'd been wrong to assume that the Decepticon faction could go on for so many years without a leader to guide them.

Clearly, his role as peacekeeper hadn't been enough. Maybe what they'd really needed was for someone to step in and take command; that being the case, perhaps today's events could well have been avoided.

_I'd say that Megatron will soon be in for the rudest awakening for his life, _Starscream thought as he slapped a pair of cuffs on the remaining insurrectionist and radioed to any nearby Autobots that there was another prisoner to be picked up. _I'd love to see his reaction when he learns I'll be taking charge of his old army…_

*****

Even though Alexis had been warned beforehand, she was not totally prepared to see Alpha Q's base of operations, Unicron's head, floating out in the dead of space. Once Rodimus had displayed a visual on his ship's main viewscreen, it was all she could do to remind herself that the dark god was by no means a threat.

Scorpinok had come to the bridge by this point; standing close by, he was quick to pick up on Alexis' discomfort. Softly, he cleared his throat to catch her attention and said, "There's nothing to fear… I can guarantee you that Alpha Q has this half of Unicron well in hand and subdued."

Alexis nodded once, shifting her gaze after a moment to fully look at him. In the few hours it had taken their shuttle to reach this point, she'd had an ample amount of time to think, and she had come up with several aspects in regards to Scorpinok that puzzled her. Now that she knew much of his background and what motivated him, she couldn't help but wonder about several instances in which he'd caused trouble. Deliberately informing Ironhide of her then-undisclosed life as a human, to name one.

Much as she desired to quiz him about this, Alexis quickly decided it was something that could wait. For now, there was Alpha Q to contend with.

Following a short transmission burst from Alpha Q to Scorpinok, Rodimus pulled the ship alongside an open port, using the docking clamps to secure his shuttle so they could disembark. Moments later, he, Scorpinok, and Alexis were exiting into a wide corridor (Elita and Chromia having been told to stay put), slowly making their way to the area where their host and/or friend was waiting.

Whatever Alexis had imagined Alpha Q to look like, the multi-faceted bot she was presented with wasn't it. She blinked in surprise, taken off guard by Alpha Q's very structure alone. Though he could be counted as a member of the Transformers race, his oversized white outer shell didn't even look capable of changing shape. And, as she watched him in silence, Alpha Q began speaking to Scorpinok; Alexis soon became aware of just what the latter had meant when he said his leader's mind had been shattered.

_Funny,_ she mused dryly. _I never thought I'd encounter a Transformer suffering from multiple personality disorder…_

When Alpha Q turned to acknowledge her and Rodimus, Alexis forced herself to focus. Once the spindly bot offered up a thanks for them having brought Scorpinok back to him, Alexis gave an answering nod, then stepped forward. "It was the least we could do," she said softly. After a moment, she folded her hands together with a slight air of nervousness and added, "Given what Scorpinok has told me, I imagine you have very little reason to trust either Rodimus or myself…"

Alpha Q leaned forward slightly, his interior faces randomly switching from one to the other before settling on the personality that seemed the most level-headed. "We cannot risk allowing your Autobot friends to find this place. It is bad enough having to expend some effort to prevent Megatron from using his half of Unicron to pinpoint where we are."

Alexis' brow furrowed, as she tried to recall if Megatron had made such an effort or even had mentioned any plans to this end. After a moment, she shook her head, quietly deciding that she'd chalk it up to paranoia on Alpha Q's part. A small sigh escaped her lips, and she stated, "I would hope that I'd be able to change your mind."

The words had barely left her before Alpha Q's more spastic persona took hold. "We will not risk it!" he repeated. "Especially not when we are about to have in our grasp someone who will help us!"

Alexis blinked, then looked towards Scorpinok. Much to her surprise, he appeared as confused as she was on what that meant. As she discovered two seconds later, she didn't even have to ask; Alpha Q was providing the answer for her.

"The human boy, Kicker, tagged one of the Terrorcons we sent to Jungle City with a homing beacon. He is now on his way straight here and will be arriving within the next few minutes!"

Feeling dizzy, Alexis merely listened as Scorpinok frantically inquired into the matter and what his liege had done. She was hardly surprised to learn that Kicker (along with Ironhide and Misha) was flying solo, but could feel a huge level of rage building inside at the mere thought of what Alpha Q was hoping to achieve.

With a loud growl, Alexis whirled back to face Alpha Q, taking a threatening step forward. "How dare you!" she said in a raised voice, no doubt unsettling the young spindly bot with the ferocity in her tone. "You will do no such thing! That boy has been through enough without someone else seeking to use him to further their own ends!"

"That is not for you to decide," Alpha Q sputtered after a brief moment. "Our goal is simply to revive our planet, and we will do whatever it takes to get there."

Alexis was virtually seething when she responded, "Not at the expense of someone who's in _my _care!" She willed her left wing to stretch out from her frame, reaching up with one hand to grasp it to show she was fully prepared to bring her specialized weapon into play. "How far are you willing to take this, Alpha Q?"

The spindly bot looked uncertain on how to proceed for a long while before he started to advance towards her, looking for all the world like he was ready to fight. However, Alpha Q was stopped when Scorpinok abruptly stepped between him and Alexis, leaving all three of the chamber's other occupants to wonder about just who Scorpinok was protecting.

Looking up at his subordinate, Alpha Q said simply, "Get out of my way."

Crossing his arms, Scorpinok said simply, "I will do no such thing. This has to stop now." When Alpha Q responded to this with a screech of protest, he had to speak loudly to be heard over the din. "The primary reason that the girl is here is to negotiate for an alliance between us and the Autobots, which is exactly what should have happened from the very beginning! I'm sorry, Alpha Q, but refusing to place our trust in Optimus and his men is what got us into trouble to begin with. It is our fault that Megatron had been reawakened at all!"

A short uncomfortable silence ensued following Scorpinok's speech, then Alpha Q abruptly lunged towards his comrade, beginning to beat at Scorpinok with his long skinny white arms in what Alexis could only identify as a sort of tantrum. Once more feeling dizzy, she took a step back, feeling a pang in her chest at the reminder that Alpha Q was little more than a child. This situation could still be resolved, but she, Rodimus, and Scorpinok (though, being emotionally deficient, she wasn't entirely sure he could be counted upon) had to deal with it in accordance with the spindly bot's young age.

While Alpha Q's tirade was ensuing, Rodimus caught her attention, quietly saying, "He said your friends' shuttle would be here in a matter of minutes. Perhaps you'd best go keep an eye out for them, Sky Dancer."

She nodded once, turning on her heel and taking a couple steps before switching to her jet mode. The corridors were wide enough that she could navigate them freely as such. Once outside, she activated her external sensors, simultaneously circling around Unicron's massive head to get a full view of the surrounding area. When she got an approaching shuttle in her sights, she began flying out towards it at full speed.

Given that Kicker and Ironhide couldn't possibly be aware that she was no longer in Megatron's company, Alexis was hardly surprised when the ship's guns swiveled in her direction and opened fire. Having anticipated this, she took evasive maneuvers, but shortly found that the cannons were not being directed to get a full lock on her.

Alexis switched back to her bot mode, speaking quickly and hoping beyond hope that her two partners were in a position to hear her. "Kicker, Ironhide," she said loudly. "Stop shooting!" A short pause, then, "It's me! Just me! The Decepticons aren't here! Now please stop firing! We need to talk!"

Though the guns did power down after a moment, Alexis was left waiting anxiously for several minutes. Finally, a hatchway opened near the top of the shuttle and Ironhide stepped out onto the hull, causing her to let out a sigh of relief.

Alexis quickly soared in so she was standing opposite him, thinking him to be a welcome sight regardless of the fact that he was staring at her with wide, distrustful optics and that he had a gun in one hand. Silently, she commended him for having Kicker stay inside, seeing as they had no reason to trust her as of yet. Ironhide spoke first, making a wild gesture towards Unicron's head in the distance. "Sky Dancer… What is this? What are you doing here if you're not with Megatron?"

Alexis briefly turned to regard Alpha Q's base of operations, idly wondering just how Scorpinok and Rodimus were faring at calming down the young ruler. "That is a very long story," she said softly. Looking back at Ironhide, she proceeded to lay it all out for him…

*****

For all of the Autobots' efforts to calm things down on Cybertron, their influence only went so far. After four hours, many of the scattered Decepticons had turned their focus from causing chaos, coalesced into larger groups, and gone into hiding. No doubt they were waiting for Megatron to come get them, as was promised in the broadcast.

By the time the last of his elite troops had returned to headquarters, Optimus was reviewing a video of a fiasco over in the detention center and trying his best to bury the immense agitation he felt over Kicker and Ironhide's desertion. As he'd learned, once the transmission came in from a prison guard (Blurr), things were bad enough without worrying about those two. He only hoped that they weren't already in Megatron's hands.

As the video was only showing images of the hallway outside of solitary, Optimus' only idea of how Shockblast had escaped his chains was from the report that the bolts had been literally ripped out of the wall. Nevertheless, he was disturbed by what happened next -- one of the Decepticon guards had made their way into the corridor and stopped outside the cell door, peering in through the small barred window and saying that he'd come to help Shockblast escape.

Optimus couldn't hear what Shockblast said in response, but the words were unmistakable given what followed. A powerful laser blast (undoubtedly coming from the massive cannon that made up Shockblast's left arm) sheered through the door from the inside, simultaneously blasting through the insides of the unfortunate guard. The Autobot commander said a silent prayer that the poor Decepticon had gone quick and hadn't suffered and watched grimly as Shockblast exited the cell and began heading towards the surface.

Crossing his arms, Starscream was the first to speak. "Provided we don't find him before Megatron reaches Cybertron, at least we can hope that a homicidal maniac like Shockblast will be more than he bargained for."

Demolisher looked across at his friend with a hardened expression. "That may be so, but I'd prefer not to let Shockblast run around unchecked for very long. He caused enough damage last time."

Optimus bowed his head, then turned to face his soldiers. With a small sigh, he said, "Well, we've done the best we can at repairing the damage that Megatron has caused. All we can do now is mobilize everyone who's still on our side before he gets here… No matter what, our main priority has to be confronting Megatron head-on if possible." His gaze locked with Starscream's. "This may be a perfect opportunity to get back what he's taken from us and to put a stop to his reign."

Starscream nodded, his thoughts turning briefly to Alexis before he reminded himself that what was currently happening was bigger than worrying about her well-being. "In that case, I'd like to have a talk with the Decepticons we've taken into custody… I may be able to get some of them to join in on our cause."

Optimus hesitated, then gave a consenting nod. "Good luck, Starscream. At this point, we could use all the help we can get…"

*****

Shortly after he'd initiated the broadcast to Cybertron, Megatron had returned to the battleship with Sideways in tow. At present, he, his three soldiers, and the Terrorcons left behind by Scorpinok were en route to the planet and were nearly halfway there.

Megatron idly cast a glance at the few metallic predators scattered about the bridge, feeling mildly irritated as he reflected on the fact that they seemed to be restless and a tad insubordinate now that Scorpinok was no longer present. He'd made it clear more than once that their 'master' was no longer around and that they would be following his orders from now on, but it didn't seem to have fully registered with the stupid drones yet.

The fact that a number of broadcasts were coming in at this point, via both Tidal Wave and Snowcat, was sufficient to distract Megatron from this matter, though he did muse that perhaps the Terrorcons would become more focused when directed to lay siege to Cybertron. The more responses the Decepticon commander received from soldiers anxious to join his cause, the more delighted he became.

Truthfully, Megatron was surprised by the number of troops looking to be recruited, even from some he'd thought would not be interested in starting the war anew.

Megatron had barely processed a transmission from some random Decepticon (who was a pal of Snowcat's) in regards to an irritating young mech named Thundercracker who apparently talked too much when a much more interesting one came in. Still, he told Shockblast to hold for a few seconds before responding to Snowcat's friend that he was not to shoot Thundercracker to get him to shut up.

Megatron grinned, remembering Shockblast as one of his most determined, reliable troops from the old days. If there was anyone he could count on that hated the Autobots with a passion, then this particular mech was it.

While Megatron engaged in some idle chitchat with his favored warrior, Sideways was surprised to hear Tidal Wave speak up, though in a hushed tone, "Don't trust Shockblast."

With widened optics, Sideways turned to look up at the big guy. He shortly got the impression that Tidal Wave was talking to himself, given the way his gaze was unfocused. Upon hearing the colossal bot comment that he apparently thought Shockblast to be bad news, Sideways thought, with great amusement, _Well, aren't you just full of surprises? I actually didn't think you hated anybody on your own team…_

*****

Once she'd fully explained things to Ironhide and convinced him that there was nothing to fear, Alexis was invited onto the bridge of the shuttle he and Kicker had commandeered. After being greeted by Kicker and Misha, both of whom expressed their gratitude that she was okay, Alexis quietly asked if they might be able to radio to Earth so that Optimus and Starscream could be told that she was alright.

Misha tilted her head to look up at Alexis after a moment, saying, "I could re-establish the communications array, but it'd take some time. I had to take apart the console somewhat to render it, and the onboard beacon, inoperable… Perhaps we'd be better off making use of the one onboard your friend, Rodimus', ship."

Alexis sighed, looking down towards the floor before noticing out of the corner of her optic that Ironhide was giving her a strange look. When she looked up at him questioningly, he apologized and said, "It's just odd, seeing you with the Decepticon symbols."

Alexis paused, then gave an ironic laugh. She'd forgotten that Megatron had branded her with the faction symbols in question in addition to brainwashing her. "Relax, Ironhide. They aren't permanent," she said lightly. "And they're certainly not a reflection of who I am."

Kicker exchanged a look with Misha, her hand held firmly in his, before shifting his gaze to Alexis. "So, do we get to meet this Alpha Q character?"

Alexis shook her head. "I don't want you anywhere near him, Kicker."

Her teenaged partner hesitated, then scowled. "You don't trust me?!" he said incredulously.

"You, yes. Him, no," Alexis answered. She paused for a long moment, then continued with a sigh. "Like it or not, he's still a child. That makes him unpredictable. He still has a number of Terrorcons at his disposal, and I can't say with the utmost certainty that Scorpinok is going to continue to lean in our favor."

Ironhide spoke up after a short silence. "So, what's our plan then?"

After a couple seconds, Alexis said simply, her gaze unfocused, "I need to talk to Alpha Q. Alone." A pause, and then, "I'd like to try to get him on our side if I can. Hopefully, we'll soon see just how good my bargaining skills are…"

* * *

_Author's Notes: To all of you who are anxious to see Alexis and Starscream reunited, I'm sorry to say it won't be until the chapter after next. But, will get there eventually. :)_

_Next up: Alexis' private talk with Alpha Q, and the induction of Shockblast and Thundercracker into Megatron's ranks._


	24. The Meaning of Friendship

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Twenty-Three

When she arrived back at Alpha Q's personal sanctum, Alexis was pleased to see that he was indeed calmer. At least, that was her first impression until she saw that the giant maw housing his interior heads had closed, and the two large yellow slits/optics positioned on his outer shell were simply watching her in silence.

After a few seconds of waiting for Alpha Q to speak, she turned to look for Scorpinok and found him and Rodimus leaning against the walls to either side of the entryway. Alexis quickly caught the attention of the former and asked, "Have you had any luck?"

Scorpinok shook his head, but it was Rodimus who got in the first word. "The last thing he said was that he would not be changing his mind and once more demanded that the boy be brought to him… I think he's even prepared to attack your friends' shuttle if they try to leave the area." Rodimus paused, then turned his head slightly to look at her. "I'll say one thing for Alpha Q -- he's incredibly stubborn."

Alexis sighed, tiredly rubbing at her face before focusing back on Scorpinok. "Is he at least listening?" she asked. "If I talk to him, I'd like to know that I'm not wasting my breath."

When Scorpinok answered that he believed Alpha Q's audio receptors to still be active, Alexis gave another sigh and softly asked the two mechs at her sides if they would give her and the spindly bot some time alone. Much to her relief, Scorpinok and Rodimus agreed to this and shortly headed off down the tunnel.

After a long moment spent just watching Alpha Q in silence, Alexis slowly stepped forward. When she was just yards away from her young companion, she settled down on the floor, quickly making herself comfortable.

When at last she spoke, Alexis took heart in the fact that her words caused Alpha Q to raise his head just a notch. "You must miss your world very much," she said softly. After a short pause, she added, "I know what it's like, Alpha Q, to be so attached to a place you call home. If the same thing had happened to Earth, to my planet…"

Alexis hesitated, a flash of pain showing in her optics. "But I can't imagine what you must be going through. No one should have to endure the level of pain and sorrow that you have, especially at your age. Unicron is a cruel one indeed, destroying your planet and the people you had grown to care about."

When Alpha Q spoke, Alexis was slightly taken aback. Still, she quickly determined that this gentle childlike tone must be his true voice and/or persona. "Some of my people might have had a chance if Scorpinok had listened to me that day," Alpha Q responded with a note of scorn.

Alexis bowed her head, answering simply, "That may be so. That's the problem with grown-ups; there are times where they mistakenly think that they're the ones who know best." She shifted her weight with a sigh, then continued with, "The boy that you want to help you in locating Energon… He was betrayed and hurt by someone he trusted too, for several years." Alexis paused briefly to let that sink in, then added, "You and Kicker have much in common. So tell me, do you think it's fair of you to use him for your own personal gain?"

The giant maw housing Alpha Q's interior heads reopened, and his spastic persona spun to the forefront. "How else are we to achieve our ends?!" he said in a downright frenzied tone. "We are cut off from the Autobot bases on Earth, and the Terrorcons in our possession are not good at performing long-range scans for Energon deposits!"

Alexis couldn't even reply before the spindly bot switched to the persona she could only define as aggressive. Briefly, she wondered if this was a facet of the so-called peaceful ruler's true personality that Scorpinok had not known about. "We will do whatever we have to! We want our planet back!"

Alexis let out a deep breath, mentally reminding herself to be patient. "You know there's another way," she said, in as calm a tone as she could muster. "It's what Scorpinok has been telling you all along."

Alpha Q scoffed. "Ally with the Autobots?! Why would we want to do that when they've been fighting us at every turn?"

Alexis took on a stern, deadly serious gaze. "Because until now, not one of them even knew what this was about!" she said loudly. "How could you expect me and mine not to go on the defensive when you started attacking and stealing from us?!" She sighed, then continued with, "We're not monsters, Alpha Q, nor are we against negotiating… If you had come and told us from the beginning what you were looking to achieve, we might have helped you."

After a long pause, Alexis went on when her companion failed to speak. "I'd say that enough damage has been done now. Like it or not, Megatron is back in action, and he will stop at nothing to play things his own way. The only way you're going to wrest Unicron away from him is to engage him and his army in battle. And for that, you're going to need all the help you can get."

"We have the Terrorcons!" Alpha Q responded, though his tone was wavering.

Alexis lowered her head a notch, momentarily dimming her optics. "Which may not be enough," she said gently, praying she was getting through to him. "Each and every one of the members of my team knows Megatron and what it takes to combat him. You don't have much of a choice at this point, Alpha Q. You need our help. I can make that happen if you only ask."

"Why should we trust you?" his spastic persona barked out.

Alexis shifted her weight once more, rubbing at her face. "Because, believe it or not… I actually care…"

*****

Once Optimus had mobilized the soldiers under his command, the only thing to do was to wait for Megatron to show himself. For the most part, all the troops gathered in the shuttle depot (most were waiting to make use of the one-man crafts at their disposal) were greatly on edge. Those not present were standing guard in various parts of the planet, keeping watch for the Decepticons who were hiding for the purpose of sounding an alarm if and when they might enter the fray.

Perched on the wing of one such craft, Starscream was finding time to converse with Demolisher, who was already settled into the cockpit. The latter's surprisingly light-hearted comment about how it finally appeared that he and Starscream were going to be wingmates caused the former to chuckle in response.

Starscream turned serious a second later, giving voice to something that had been weighing on him and which he imagined Demolisher might be concerned about. "I hope you're going to be okay, going up against Cyclonus and Tidal Wave. Realistically… We might not be able to spare them."

Demolisher took on a solemn expression, giving a deep sigh. "They've made their choice about who they were going to side with, just as I've made mine," he said flatly. "If it comes to that…" He reached up, clasping Starscream's hand in an amicable gesture and seeming to sense what his friend was thinking. "I don't regret being here. Whatever happens to our former comrades, I never will." There was a short pause, then Demolisher continued with, "Still -- it wouldn't hurt, having Cyclonus and Tidal Wave live through this battle. Misguided as they might be, even they could come around under the right leadership."

A small smile pulled at Starscream's lips. "Funny you should mention that…"

Demolisher chuckled, adopting a small smile of his own at the implication. After a second, he said, "Personally, I think you'd do a far better slagging job than Megatron!"

Before another word could be said, a loud buzz sounded through the hangar, followed by the sound of Red Alert's voice over the coms. "Everyone gear up!" the medic barked out. "Megatron's battleship has just been spotted!"

Demolisher, while listening to the set of coordinates that followed, hurriedly worked to strap himself in; Starscream launched himself away from the shuttlecraft, fully prepared to switch to his jet mode. "Good luck out there," Starscream said simply.

Demolisher looked up, keying in the command to seal the hatch. "You too…"

*****

Megatron had to admit to being apprehensive for an instant, when he saw the Autobot fleet, headed by Optimus (whom he was surprised to see flying), Starscream, and Jetfire, approaching. In the next instant, he was ordering his men and the Terrorcons to get out there and to ensure that the battle be focused primarily on the starboard side of the ship. While briefly cursing the fact that Tidal Wave had rendered the port side cannon useless, Megatron knew they could still make use of what they had available.

Thankfully, the Terrorcons proved to be agreeable to the command and didn't hesitate when it came to going into combat.

In moments, Sideways, Snowcat, and Tidal Wave had been positioned at various spots on the hull, and Megatron took a few seconds to watch them in action on the main monitor. Sideways had left his sword on the bridge so he could remain intangible, though he was still apparently able to make use of his laser weaponry. Tidal Wave, too, had an edge, as his four torso-mounted cannons could be focused in several different directions at once.

Megatron focused on Snowcat for a moment until he was sure that his remaining soldier was effectively holding his own, then went to the console to operate the battleship's massive weapon. Still, the Decepticon commander silently prayed that the Autobots would not notice the ship had a weak spot.

*****

As focused as he was at eliminating one Terrorcon after another in order to cover Demolisher and several other members of the fleet (when he could actually catch the darn pests), Starscream was still able to take note of the three soldiers under Megatron's command. The longer the battle wore on, the more curious he became about just who was missing.

As the seconds ticked by, he grew increasingly bothered by the absence of Scorpinok and Alexis. Sure, he could somewhat see why Megatron might want to avoid sending the latter into battle, but there was no viable reason why the former shouldn't be present.

After a few moments spent pondering this, Starscream shook his head and mentally reminded himself to stay focused. Getting sidetracked would only put him and those around him in danger; he could worry about this issue later. And, odds were great that he'd get answers soon enough. Megatron's army, for all their firepower, were still very much outmatched; the Autobots were sure to overcome the Decepticon commander.

Starscream's hopes towards this end, however, were crushed when he saw a shuttlecraft in his peripheral vision get struck by a stray laser blast through one of its wings. Once he realized that the laser fire hadn't originated from the direction of Megatron's battleship, Starscream turned slightly on his axis to look towards Cybertron with a feeling of dread and wildly wondering just why an alert hadn't reached the armada.

As he feared, this battle was soon to turn in Megatron's favor. The Decepticon troops who'd been hiding somewhere on the planet were about to join in on the festivities, and there were far more of them than Starscream had anticipated.

Quickly, Starscream activated his coms, barking out a warning to every Autobot in the fleet even as he moved to head off the counter-attack as best he could…

*****

Alpha Q was silent for so long following her admission that Alexis was eventually wondering if she'd have to prompt him to say something. She was poised to do so when he switched to his most serene persona and said, "How are we to believe you? You'd say anything to be allowed to return to those you love."

Alexis resisted the urge to laugh. "You should know that Scorpinok gave me a chance to leave, while we were en route. Those desires have nothing to do with why I'm here." She paused, then added, "Is it so unbelievable to you that I might sincerely want to help?"

When he didn't answer straightaway, Alexis began to notice just how uncertain he looked; she hazarded a guess that he was unsuccessfully trying to make sense of just why she would care. "I ask you to trust me, Alpha Q… You, me, the Autobots -- We all want the same thing, and that's to stop Megatron. It's the only way that all of us are going to achieve our ends." A pause, then, "Fighting together would ensure that the odds would be in our favor and that everyone finds peace of mind. So, what do you have to lose by agreeing to an alliance?"

Alpha Q didn't answer except to once more close the maw housing his interior heads. After a long moment of silence, Alexis simply sighed and at last got to her feet. "Maybe I had you figured wrong," she said softly. "You must not want your home back as badly as I thought, or you wouldn't be so stubborn." She waited to see if he would respond, then said, her hopes sinking, "Very well, Alpha Q. I guess it's up to the Autobots alone to battle against Megatron… All I offer you is my word that Unicron will not be taken down as well."

After a few seconds, Alexis simply said that any attempt on his part to stop her and her partners from leaving would end badly, then offered a parting remark that she would be in touch and moved to exit into the adjoining corridor. She wasn't surprised to find Rodimus and Scorpinok milling around. Both of them soon fell into step beside her, and Rodimus was asking how the talk went.

"I couldn't convince him," Alexis said with a hint of sadness. "Either he's too scared or too proud to admit he needs help. I'm not sure which." She looked over at Scorpinok without breaking stride, intending to reaffirm their earlier deal regarding Unicron, but stopped when a sudden tremor coursed through the entirety of the tunnel.

Alexis tensed, instantly made uneasy by the vibrations beneath her feet, especially when it didn't stop. "What's happening?" she asked shakily, fearing in some part of her mind that Unicron might be regaining consciousness.

The fact that Rodimus' comlink buzzed to life and that Chromia's voice sounded through it shortly put Alexis at ease, however. "What gives, Rodimus?!" the blue femme said in an agitated tone. "You could have shouted out a warning that we should remove the docking clamps before Unicron's head started moving!"

When Rodimus responded by asking her to clarify this, Chromia answered, sounding testy, "How should I know?! I wasn't even aware that this thing had it's own propulsion system!"

Rodimus sighed, and addressed Elita when next he spoke. "What's our bearing?"

It took a few moments for Elita to come through with a set of coordinates, as she'd had to wait until the massive head stopped rotating and embarked on a fixed trajectory. Shortly thereafter, Scorpinok showed his knowledge of their current location and of mathematics by working out just where they were headed.

Looking at Alexis with a small smile, Scorpinok said simply, "Looks like you may have had an effect on Alpha Q after all… We're on our way to Cybertron…"

*****

Once the Decepticons from Cybertron joined the battle, everyone under the command of Optimus Prime adopted a tighter formation, switching from offense to defense in a matter of moments. Still, it was amazing that very few of them fell, in those tenuous seconds. Given that the battle now seemed to be turning in Megatron's favor, Optimus decided that the best option was to order a retreat and sent out a broadcast for all of his troops to break away in whatever way that they could.

Towards this end, it helped that many of the Decepticon soldiers were focused primarily on getting to Megatron's ship.

Still, those on the Autobot side who were positioned near the center of the battlefield faced some challenge when it came to getting out of the line of fire. Starscream alone was a tad overwhelmed in having to provide Demolisher and several other ships with cover.

In all the confusion, it was hard to say who suggested turning tail and flying past Megatron's shuttle rather than attempt to go through the approaching army. Once this plan was agreed upon, Demolisher began to bring his ship around to lead the charge, only to unexpectedly find himself face to face with Shockblast.

When he saw that the murderous Decepticon's weapon was maneuvering to aim right at him, Demolisher almost didn't dare breathe. It had to be pure chance; Shockblast must be randomly picking targets to shoot at. Steeling himself, Demolisher tightened his fists over the steering column, his thumbs moving towards the weapon controls.

Demolisher didn't even get a chance to shoot and was soon startled out of attacking by the laser volley that went careening past the cockpit and towards Shockblast. The latter, too, was startled, but that didn't stop him from dodging out of the way. Nevertheless, the blast caught Shockblast at the edge of his upper arm, opening a shallow gash in the metal.

Demolisher turned his head in the direction that the laser fire had originated, half expecting to see Starscream if not one of their other comrades. When his optics alighted on the instigator, they were practically bugging out of his head.

"Tidal Wave!" Demolisher exclaimed, his mind reeling; it wasn't like the colossal Decepticon to attack anyone on his own team, especially not of his own volition. But Demolisher doubted that firing at Shockblast was something that Megatron would have ordered Tidal Wave to do. The hard-edged bot briefly wondered if the big guy had done so because he'd seen his former teammate was in danger.

It didn't take Shockblast long to right himself and reach the same conclusion. By all accounts, he was virtually seething when he raised his cannon once more, though this time it was aimed right at Tidal Wave. "How dare you," Shockblast barked out even as he fired. However, while the big guy's shots would have caused a non-threatening injury at best, Shockblast's was geared to kill.

Demolisher quickly turned his ship around and fired the thrusters up to maximum, simultaneously bracing himself. Glancing off of Tidal Wave's shoulder, with that speed and power, was sufficient to cause the latter to stumble to the right by a few feet. As a result, Shockblast's return shot just missed its target.

It proved fortunate that Shockblast was soon thereafter knocked out by a stray shot (Demolisher couldn't even begin to guess where this one originated from), though a couple other Decepticons soon rallied around their fallen comrade to help.

Demolisher breathed a sigh of relief, looking around until he caught sight of the rest of his squadron, then moved into formation with them to begin doubling back to Cybertron. He didn't care what had prompted the big guy's actions. On the opposing team or not, Tidal Wave was still close to being a friend. And Demolisher would be very much slagged if he didn't do everything in his power to prevent his former teammate from getting hurt.

And, if that meant making an extra effort to remove Shockblast from the equation, then so be it…

*****

Shortly after they'd gotten underway, Alexis had once more gone to Kicker, Ironhide, and Misha to let them know what was happening. It wasn't long before their shuttle and Rodimus' had set a course for Cybertron, and the two ships were soon traveling side by side.

Once their journey had commenced, Alexis took the time to have a serious talk with her two teammates. Aware that their three Mini-Con companions were manning the consoles behind her, she faced Kicker and Ironhide with crossed arms. "You know, when the three of us agreed to always look out for each other, this wasn't what I had in mind," Alexis said sternly. "Megatron or not, you all put yourselves at extreme risk. What you did would hardly have been worth the gamble, if you had been captured by the Decepticons or Alpha Q."

Kicker gave a dismissive wave and said, "Oh, please. We would have taken precautions…"

Alexis' face hardened, and even Misha had cause to feel ashamed given what she said next. "Except when it came to me… Under other circumstances, I wouldn't have known or cared who any of you were. Megatron would have known that, as well as anticipated that you'd take care not to harm me. How long do you think you would have eluded capture, under those conditions?"

Ironhide shifted his weight. "So, what?" he asked tentatively. "We should have just shot you down, no questions asked?"

Alexis sighed. "When it comes down to a matter of life or death, the answer would be yes… It's a hard fact, but sometimes war demands sacrifice," she said, her thoughts traveling to that terrible final hour of the war against Unicron a decade prior. She paused briefly, then continued with, "We all got lucky this time around, to get through this whole ordeal safely. But we don't know what's ahead, or even if we'll all make it through the coming battles unscathed… or even remain as we truly are."

Misha gave this some thought, lightly biting at her lip. Then, she looked up at Alexis, her grey eyes shining. "Well, then maybe we should take action to ensure that there won't be a repeat occurrence. Surely, your friend, Rodimus, has more of these nanobots on hand. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to carry a vial of them with you, Alexis. You could even have an encoded message programmed into your CPU, in case Megatron tries this again, to remind you of who you are."

Alexis had to smile at that. "That's not a bad idea. Thanks, Misha."

Before anything further could be said, the group's attention was caught by High Wire, who informed them that one of Rodimus' companions was standing on the hull of the accompanying shuttle and appeared to be trying to get their attention. Seeing as their communications array was down, this seemed to be the only way for Rodimus and his crew to contact them.

At Alexis' request, High Wire pulled up a visual on the main monitor and activated the ship's speakers to enable a conversation. "Okay, Chromia," Alexis said aloud. "We can see and hear you now. What's up?"

The blue femme shifted her weight, her impatience showing in her demeanor. "Scorpinok said he was going to see about removing the Decepticon symbol that Megatron branded him with. He wanted to know if you might want to do likewise, Sky Dancer."

Alexis didn't even hesitate before responding that she'd be right over. However, as she was turning to leave, she was surprised to see Ironhide gazing at the screen with an odd expression on his face. The femme jet blinked, wondering about his behavior before turning once more to look at the monitor. Chromia couldn't see them in return and was thus thankfully unaware of the scrutiny, but clearly there was something about her that had caught Ironhide's attention.

Alexis reached out, touching Ironhide's arm to make him focus on her. "Would you like to come with me to meet our traveling buddies?" she asked lightly.

Ironhide appeared flustered for several seconds before regaining his composure. Alexis resisted the urge to laugh when he then put on a show like he couldn't care less, though he did agree to accompany her.

As they made their way from one ship to the other, with Alexis actually ferrying her partner across, the femme jet was amusedly thinking, _It didn't take long for Chromia to get someone to develop a crush on her…_

*****

All in all, Megatron would say that he'd acquired perhaps three hundred more troops. There would have been more but for two reasons -- not all of the Decepticons made it through the Autobot lines, and there was barely enough room on the battleship to accommodate those that had. Ultimately, an unlucky few had had to be turned away, though they had undoubtedly gotten a rude awakening when the shuttle had warped away without them.

Once back at Unicron's remains, the battleship was, for the most part, unloaded. Megatron and his elite soldiers stayed on the bridge for some time; Snowcat and Tidal Wave were elated to be praised for their efforts, while Sideways regarded that same praise with indifference. Seconds later, Snowcat was instructed to go keep an eye on the new recruits.

Shortly after the eccentric bot had vacated the bridge, the silence was shattered when Shockblast stomped into the room, looking mad enough to kill. When the single large optic in the center of his face landed on Tidal Wave, Shockblast abruptly took to the air with a loud growl, flying at the colossal Decepticon with such speed that the resulting punch to Tidal Wave's face had an unexpected effect.

Shockblast, despite being one-third of his opponent's height, knocked Tidal Wave flat on his aft.

Sideways shifted his weight, his interest piqued enough that a look of surprise actually showed on his face. Megatron, on the other hand, was soon feeling enraged by this single act and wasted no time in laying into Shockblast as the latter drifted in for a landing.

"How dare you!" the Decepticon leader barked out, catching the attention of the new arrival and making a point of aiming the laser cannons on his shoulders at Shockblast. "I hope you have a good excuse for striking one of my favored warriors."

Shockblast's face was hard to read, given that he didn't exactly have a human-like visage like many of his brethren, but his tone suggested he was scowling. Pointing towards Tidal Wave, he said angrily, "Well, maybe you should ask your 'favored warrior' why he shot at me for no reason when I was approaching the ship."

While an amused grin soon came to Sideways' lips beneath his faceplate, the colossal bot jumped in with a pretty good explanation. Still, Sideways, having heard Tidal Wave's comments pre-battle, had suspicions that it was fabricated.

"Shockblast is mistaken. Tidal Wave was aiming for an Autobot shuttle and unfortunately missed."

Megatron hadn't seen the dispute in question, but was more inclined to believe the soldier who'd been in his company longer. He responded to Shockblast's angered statement towards Tidal Wave ("You slagging liar!") with an equally fierce one. "Watch it. Shockblast," Megatron practically shouted. "This is hardly the first impression you want to make! Unless you wish to instantly make three enemies out of those standing in this room, I'd suggest that you back down right now!"

Shockblast surprisingly didn't look or sound inclined to honor the request, causing Sideways to begin to wonder about this guy. It genuinely seemed as if the newcomer was actually challenging an order given by a commanding officer; Shockblast was either incredibly stupid or insane to think of openly defying Megatron. "But, sir," Shockblast started, only to be cut off.

Megatron took it up a notch and effectively obtained the desired reaction by saying, "Very well then. You clearly have a desire to be taken off-line. Permanently." With that, Megatron began to power up his weapons, the look in his optics showing he was fully prepared to carry out the threat.

The way that Shockblast's shoulders slumped after a few tense seconds cancelled out Sideways' assumption that he was lacking in brains. "Very well," he said, though something in his tone gave the impression, at least to the intangible bot, that the conflict was far from settled.

In spite of himself, Sideways actually found himself caring about this unusual friction between Tidal Wave and Shockblast. As he would later tell himself, nothing good could come from these two soldiers wasting their time taking shots at each other instead of the real enemy. Perhaps it would be best to keep them separated as much as possible.

As if the situation on the bridge wasn't tense enough, it was made even more so when the four soldiers gathered there were joined by a fifth bot. In fact, Sideways and Shockblast didn't even notice that someone else had joined the party until Megatron looked past them with a slightly exasperated expression. "Can I help you?" the Decepticon commander asked wearily.

This caused the gazes of all the bridge's occupants to turn towards the newcomer, which soon answered any questions on Megatron's attitude. Before them stood a blue and gray mech who was looking a tad too excited about being here. This was supported by what the newcomer had to say first. "Quite the contrary," he said in an excitable tone, with an accent that his companions couldn't quite place. "I'm here to help you… Name's Thundercracker. Snowcat requested that I come see you, sir, once I told him about what's happening on Cybertron."

Megatron waited in silence for several seconds, then shook his head in annoyance when he realized he needed to prompt Thundercracker to go on. Already, he was starting to know just why someone had asked permission to shoot the guy.

Still, Megatron was intrigued to learn about the security grid that was being established around Cybertron. If anything, the notion that Optimus and the Autobots were seeking to deny him and his soldiers their rightful home caused Megatron a great deal of anger. Out loud, he said, "If Prime thinks that we're going to stand idly by and let him close the door on us, then he's got another thing coming." Megatron paused, turning towards Thundercracker. "I want you to relay a message back to the troops. Tell them to prepare themselves for a battle and that they shouldn't rest until all those towers are taken out…"


	25. Beyond Reason

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter released. As you'll see, with everything taking place within these pages, it took more time than usual to write out. I hope this meets all your expectations and more. I don't have an estimate for when the next installment may be coming, but I can guarantee it will be worth the wait._

_In the meantime, I will be working on an update or two for my other fic, Unexpected Allies. I hope you'll take the time to check out the poll on my profile in regards to that story._

_Enjoy!_

Chapter Twenty-Four

The more that Demolisher thought about the events that had occurred during the battle, the less convinced he became that Tidal Wave's attack against Shockblast had been intended to safeguard him. While Demolisher had been able to maneuver and look out the rear of the ship's glass-domed hatch to see who had rescued him, the big guy hadn't been positioned at the right angle to know who the pilot was.

The hard-edged bot was soon made curious enough to want to research this. He was standing in front of a terminal in Autobot headquarters (it was fairly easy for him to access Decepticon files from here) when Scavenger found him. Demolisher briefly glanced over at the sound of Scavenger's entrance, then went back to reading the report on the monitor. At his companion's inquiry, he said, "Just reading up on Shockblast." He quickly explained what had happened out on the battlefield, then paused before adding, "Is there something you needed?"

Scavenger sighed. "Just to say that Optimus now has everyone working double-time to get our security grid up and running. Even some of the Decepticon soldiers that Megatron abandoned out there have agreed to chip in... He was wondering if you might want to help out."

Demolisher gave a short, dry laugh. "Construction -- not really my strong point."

Scavenger hesitated, then said lightly, "Well, you could always lend a hand when it comes to the heavy lifting."

Demolisher turned away from the console, fixing Scavenger with such a bewildered look that the seasoned vet asked what was on his mind. With another short laugh, Demolisher said, "I'm not used to being treated like part of the team... The Autobot team, that is." A pause, and then, "Why are you being so nice?"

Scavenger casually crossed his arms. "For one thing, because I don't discriminate. Never have. It doesn't matter who belongs to what faction. It doesn't determine what kind of viewpoint they have." Scavenger shifted his weight. "And for another, your actions as of late clearly define where you stand. There's not many who would have the courage to go against Megatron in the way that you have."

Demolisher nodded, remaining silent for a bit before saying, "Tell Optimus I'll be out in several minutes."

Scavenger voiced his acknowledgment and moved to depart. In the next second, Demolisher turned back to the monitor and continued reading. He was almost through the report of Shockblast's military record when an item of particular interest caught his optic. Demolisher skimmed through the paragraphs quickly, barely surprised when they provided further evidence that Shockblast was psychotic.

According to the report, Shockblast had, almost thirteen years prior, participated in a failed mission against a remote Autobot colony independent of Cybertron. When it went south, he had hijacked the emergency shuttlecraft and fled the scene before any of the other troops could make it safely back to the ship. As a result, all but two of the other Decepticons from that day had paid with their lives.

One was Thrust, a military tactician who'd later betrayed his entire race to Unicron and subsequently perished for his treachery.

The other was Tidal Wave...

*****

Removing the Decepticon marks from her wings was quite simple, especially given the equipment that Rodimus had at his disposal. There were a number of tools that Alexis could have utilized towards this end.

Scorpinok, on the other hand, didn't fare so well at this task. After he'd spent several minutes rubbing at the symbol on his chest with a rag doused with paint thinner, he'd discovered that it seemed to be permanently etched in. He even mentioned as much to Alexis, idly telling her that Megatron had used some paranormal abilities to mark him.

She abandoned her task long enough to look over at Scorpinok as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, with a soft sigh. Under her inquiries, he said, "I don't think there is an easy way to get rid of it. Quite possibly, my only option is to have my whole chest plate replaced. With all the welding that that would entail, it hardly seems worth it."

Alexis looked down, and was shortly idly touching the purple faction symbol that was still there. "So you're okay just leaving it?"

Scorpinok shrugged. "It's hardly a sign of allegiance. Megatron's a fool to actually assume that it would be."

She remained silent for a moment, her thoughts turning to something that she'd avoided thinking about until now. Without looking up, she said, "I should thank you for helping me... What Megatron and Sideways did -- trying to turn me into something I'm not -- was horrible. I can only hope that I one day get a chance for payback."

Scorpinok studied her for a few seconds, sensing that there was something more on her mind by her expression. "But?"

Alexis lightly shook her head. "It bothers me that Megatron is probably someone I'm never going to be able to peg. Every time I think I have him completely figured out, he throws me for a loop." She paused, reaching up to rub at her face. "He's cruel and selfish, when you take into account what he did, but... I don't know. It seemed like he genuinely feels something for me."

Scorpinok leaned forward, regarding her in all seriousness. "All that matters is how you feel. You still have two beings out there who you love with everything that you are. Taking the mind wipe into account, any emotions you might have generated towards Megatron were a lie. As you said, he is selfish. And if that was his idea of earning your affections, then he's quite foolish as well."

Whatever he imagined in response, Alexis somehow doubted it was for her to look up at him sharply, her optics blazing, after a brief moment. "Yeah, well, you're a fine one to pass judgment," she said, shortly cluing him in on just what she was angry about. "Maybe now would be a good time for you to explain your own actions -- the day you and I first met, specifically... Why would you tell Ironhide about who I was? Did you know it was going to cause problems between the two of us?"

Scorpinok tilted his head downwards slightly, an ironic smile playing at his lips. "It's funny," he said softly. "I'd been trying to figure that out myself for several hours after the fact." He paused, then, noticing she was looking at him in expectation, said, "Bear in mind, I owed you, your team, nothing. It was a simple job. Get the Energon and get out. As far as I was concerned, the Autobots were nothing but obstacles."

Scorpinok looked up, meeting her optics with his own. "Then, there was you." He paused again, then continued with, "I think it was a combination of things. I'd known in advance that you'd sacrificed one life for another, but meeting you in the flesh made me really focus on what that meant. You reminded me very much of..." He hesitated for so long here that Alexis suspected he'd been about to say Nebulina, but he continued with, "My people... And it's something of a habit of mine to act as an instructor. There had been numerous young ones who'd wanted to learn to fight and I'd trained some of them."

Scorpinok sighed. "And lastly, I'd come to learn from experience that keeping some secrets are never good... What I did was in part because my old instincts were kicking in. Telling the truth was geared to help Ironhide as much as you." Off of the incredulous look she gave him, he said, "His prejudice was hurting both of you, and it only would have gotten worse if left unchecked... And I think you could say that your relationship with your partner has improved as a result."

Alexis blinked, looking downwards once more and remaining silent while she processed this. The more she thought about it, the more she began to believe that Scorpinok was right. Clearing her throat, she said simply, "Thank you."

Scorpinok nodded once in response, and both of them remained silent while Alexis worked at removing the other faction symbol. Once she was finished, he grabbed her attention by saying, "I estimate that it would take us about ten hours to make it to Cybertron. I was thinking that perhaps, if you flew ahead of us at top speed, you'd make it there in three. I imagine you'd love the chance to be reunited with those you care about, and you could get the Autobots ready for what's coming. Otherwise... there's no telling how they'd react if they saw Unicron's head approaching the planet."

Alexis didn't even hesitate; she had every suspicion that Kicker and Ironhide would be alright in her absence. "Point the way..."

*****

For as eager as Ironhide was to meet one of his traveling companions, he sure did a good job of playing it cool once he was in the company of Rodimus, Elita, and Chromia. Mostly, it was due to excitement over meeting one of Cybertron's former military leaders who he'd heard numerous stories about, but also partially because he didn't feel entirely comfortable chatting it up with Chromia with her "father" present.

An answer to this dilemma thankfully presented itself when Elita announced that one of the coolant tanks in the lower recesses of the ship was acting up again. When Rodimus made an offhand remark that they needed to see about trading for the components to permanently fix it, Ironhide jumped in by saying that perhaps there might be something onboard the shuttle he, Kicker, and Misha had commandeered that would be useful.

It proved even more fortunate that Chromia had some knowledge of engineering; she volunteered to accompany Ironhide back to his ship to have a look. Making the return trip, without Alexis, was no challenge, as Rodimus had merely flown in close enough that Chromia and Ironhide would have no problem literally jumping over to the adjacent craft.

As they were walking down the corridor towards the engine room, Chromia was as cool as could be, seemingly oblivious of her companion's nervousness. It showed how focused she was, and her mind was wholeheartedly on the task at hand. Ironhide even wondered if she'd ever dealt with being the object of someone's attention. He surely hoped she wasn't adverse to the idea of making friends, or something more.

Not a word was spoken between them until they'd arrived at the engine room and she'd swiftly opened up a panel on the first coolant tank they came to. Her powder blue optics roved over the inner workings of the device before a very slight smile came to her face and she wordlessly dug out the tool kit she'd brought along.

Ironhide moved into a position opposite Chromia as she got to work at removing the needed components, then nervously spoke after a few brief moments. "I take it that this is what you need," he said, realizing how lame he sounded even as he voiced it.

She looked up at him for a second, but Ironhide couldn't tell what she was thinking from the blank expression. "That's right," she said flatly, without breaking stride.

Ironhide shifted his weight, mentally telling himself to cool it and/or think of something that might give her a hint he was interested. Still, the best he could come up with was, "This is a pretty fascinating life you have."

Chromia must have thought he was being sarcastic, given her antagonistic response. Without looking up, though she appeared slightly tense, she said firmly, "Don't pretend to be interested. Somehow, I doubt that living and working as a merchant would be appealing to most soldiers."

Ironhide blinked. After a few seconds, he said, "That's a little biased of you. Not all of us are only focused on fighting."

A tiny, amused smile came to her lips. "That almost sounds like a challenge… Sure you want to make a bet that I might be wrong?"

Though he was mentally screaming at himself not to do it, Ironhide said simply, his optics blazing, "You're on."

Chromia truly looked surprised when she glanced up at him, but she recovered in no time. Regaining her composure, she said coolly, "Okay." She paused for a moment, clearly mulling this over, then said, "If you can excel at something that doesn't give you even the remotest benefit in battle, then I'll be the first to admit defeat." Seeing a telling glint in his optics, she added, "And engineering skills don't count…"

*****

If there was one thing that the Autobots could be sure of, after the many centuries spent at war, it was that the calm could shatter at a moment's notice and it could take mere seconds to tear lives asunder.

Both Optimus and Starscream had been uncertain if Megatron would dare show his face in the vicinity of Cybertron again so soon. While the Decepticon commander would almost surely have been apprised of the security grid that was being established, he and his troops would still be outnumbered if they showed.

But then, several things were working in Megatron's favor: it was not known just how many Terrorcons he had at his disposal or where precisely he would strike. And, he still had Sideways working for him, whom the Autobots had no chance of keeping track of without Kicker.

Bearing all those factors in mind, Optimus knew that this would likely be the deadliest of battles. When he gathered all his most seasoned warriors (Demolisher as well) together for a brief private meeting, he even said as such. "I want you all to take as much care as possible. The last thing I want to see is that any harm befalls even one of us."

Demolisher said nothing, but given his expression, he had to be affected to some degree to be regarded as part of the team and to know that his Autobot comrades cared more than he'd thought possible. Standing next to the hard-edged bot with Starxis perched on his shoulder, Starscream voiced his concerns over who had been missing during the previous firefight. "That may be why Megatron chose now to call for reinforcements," the jet went on to say. "I don't know what happened, but it looks like Scorpinok definitely may no longer be with him. Alexis -- I'm not so sure about."

Much to everyone's surprise, the youngling chose to chime in. "Starxis would like to know," the little guy chirped out. When this caused Starscream to turn his head and fix his adopted child with startled orange optics, Starxis continued with, "Can read Megatron's mind. Want to know about Mommy." After a short silence and most likely in answer to Starscream's thoughts on the matter, the youngling added, "Will hide during battle. Will be safe."

Starscream sighed, showing he was giving in by the way his shoulders slumped. It couldn't be too hard to draw Megatron (or even one of the other Decepticons) to wherever Starxis chose to hide. After a few more words shared between him and his comrades, Starscream was heading outside; the others said something about wanting to gear up for the coming fight. No sooner had he done so than a message sounded through his comlink, calling for aid in the northern-most quadrant of the grid. Fortunately, it wasn't far away from where he was standing, and Starscream soon took to the skies, holding Starxis against his chest in a way that concealed the youngling from view.

Once near the battlefield, Starscream swooped in close to the ground to deposit Starxis at a place that the youngling could safely hide for the duration. With that accomplished, he went to back up the Autobot troops who were giving their all to defend the towers from the attack. Looking around, the jet spotted Cyclonus, Tidal Wave, some random Decepticons who he didn't know, and a large number of the Terrorcons.

It didn't take very long for Starscream to spot a problem. As he went airborne, soaring towards Cyclonus, he idly mused that the Autobots really needed to have more aerial soldiers on their side. It would certainly help even the battlefield if the Autobots were a little less limited against their flight-capable enemies.

In retrospect, his decision to take to the skies probably saved his life.

The explosions came so suddenly that almost no one had time to react. Starscream alone had barely registered the loud booming sounds before the strong shockwave hit him. With his equilibrium thrown off, he actually found himself on a collision course with the ground, but was fortunately able to right himself just in time. Even as he hurriedly maneuvered to get out of the line of fire (though it probably didn't matter seeing as the Decepticons almost immediately turned their attention to the next group of towers), Starscream turned his gaze towards the ground, almost freezing as he took in the carnage of the scene below.

The bases of three adjacent grid towers were now engulfed in flames, burning with such intensity that it was amazing that they were all still standing upright. Catching sight of two dozen fallen soldiers, Starscream swooped in to investigate, silently thanking Primus that Starxis had been nowhere near this cataclysm.

Much to his shock, Starscream discovered that many of the troops were either seriously injured or dead. Swiftly, he activated his comlink, barking out that medical aid was required in his quadrant and to report that part of their security grid was gone. Even as Optimus questioned frantically over the coms what had happened, a flicker of movement caused Starscream to look up.

Almost instantly, the jet activated his laser cannons, but found that it wouldn't do any good when the instigator gave a loud, ironic laugh and faded from sight.

It took Starscream no time to work out an answer. "Sideways," he responded to the Autobot commander. "He got past us. He planted some explosives."

Optimus' next words were slow in coming, perhaps demonstrating just how in shock he was. More than likely, the thought of how useful it would have been to have Kicker present for this battle was once more crossing the mind of the Autobots' leader. "Thanks for the heads up, Starscream. I'll make sure everyone out there knows to keep an eye out for such a thing around the towers."

Starscream was barely listening to this speech, as he had just then caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance. After a second or two, he absently gave an acknowledgment of what Optimus had said, thinking it was all he could do not to take off right then and there. Looking around at the wounded soldiers kept him grounded, though just barely; it wouldn't be right to leave them like this.

But when a medical team did show up, then Megatron was all his…

*****

Though Demolisher had no qualms when it came to facing down Shockblast, Sideways, one of the lesser Decepticons, or perhaps even Megatron, the same could not be said for the soldiers he'd spent an ample amount of time working alongside. So, when faced with Cyclonus and even though he had the eccentric bot in sight of his laser rifle, Demolisher couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.

Even worse, Cyclonus knew it.

Though the eccentric bot knew that he would likely get chewed out by Megatron if he was seen, he drifted in for a landing on the rooftop where Demolisher had positioned himself. A second later, the latter lowered his rifle so it was pointed at the ground.

Cyclonus spoke first. "I bet you could still come back if you wanted to."

Demolisher kept his face blank. "I could say the same to you, Cyclonus. Why would you stay with Megatron after what he did?"

The eccentric bot bristled slightly. "I'm flying again, aren't I? Things aren't all that bad," he said testily. "And name's Snowcat now."

Demolisher gave a single acknowledging nod. "Snowcat," he said quietly. After a moment of silence, he added, "I'm not coming back. I don't expect you to understand, but I'm not."

"What happened to you?" Snowcat asked with wide, bewildered optics.

Demolisher bowed his head slightly, knowing his comrade well enough to recognize that Snowcat would not open fire. "I found something more important than swearing my allegiance to an insane dictator," he said simply. "Think about that."

Before another word could be said, the sound of missile fire from above caused Demolisher to glance upwards, just in time to see that a blue and gray Cybertronian jet was soaring in and taking shots at him. Swiftly, he leaped backwards to avoid the missiles, and when he looked at Snowcat, it was to see that the eccentric bot was taking off after the jet as it veered off.

Though the two were a great distance away, the fact that Demolisher raised the volume on his audio receptors allowed him to hear Snowcat warning the other (Thundercracker) against doing something like that again. At this, a small smile pulled at Demolisher's lips; it was nice to know that, in spite of everything, his former comrades would likely not do anything to harm him.

When he averted his attention to another area of the battlefield, just lucky enough to catch sight of an altercation between Shockblast and Tidal Wave, Demolisher silently mused that perhaps he could return the favor…

*****

If Megatron had had any indication of the bad history between two of his elite warriors, he surely would have made an effort to keep them away from each other. As it was, the squabbling between a certain escaped prisoner and a dim-witted colossal Decepticon was getting steadily worse.

Tidal Wave was nevertheless in his element, perfectly content in following his leader's orders to take down the towers. So, it certainly came as a surprise when, as he was prepared to open fire on one of the structures, a powerful laser blast glanced by his left arm, opening a shallow gash in his chassis. Tidal Wave blinked in surprise, then turned his head, scowling when his optics landed on Shockblast.

"Sorry," the latter said in a mocking, childish tone, deliberately throwing Tidal Wave's earlier excuse back at him. "Guess I missed." With that, Shockblast turned his attention to some Autobots on the ground when they started firing at him.

Though Tidal Wave was shortly forced to do likewise, the anger that broiling inside him was a sure indication that this matter was far from over…

*****

On the opposite end of the battlefield, Megatron was watching the proceedings from high up in the air, wearing a smug smile as he viewed each and every one of his soldiers (at least those that he could see) giving their all to carry out his orders. Though he half expected not to have to participate in this endeavor, he still had his sword drawn and he was on high alert for anything. After all, either Starscream or Optimus would undoubtedly want to come after him.

Megatron wasn't sure if the girl was back in their company or not, but he got his answer when he heard someone yell out his name and turned to see a very livid red and white jet. Starscream looked so angry that it was amazing he halted for as long as he did, holding his fighting stance. "Where is she?!" the jet all but shouted, his voice shaking with rage.

Megatron wasn't the least bit intimidated, but he did raise his own sword. With a wry smile, he answered, "Not with me, that's for sure." When Starscream responded by accusing him of lying, Megatron said simply, "Now what reason would I have for doing that?" A pause, and then, "If you want to find her, you should ask our dear friend, Scorpinok, wherever he may be… I'm surprised she hasn't returned by now. It most likely suggests that Scorpinok and Alpha Q are now holding her prisoner."

Starscream hesitated, thrown by this admission. But, he soon set it aside when a single thought in regards to the current situation came to mind. Starxis would be able to tell him later what the truth was.

Advancing slightly and gripping his sword in readiness, Starscream said in a low, dangerous tone, "Then that means that you have no one to hide behind now, Megatron."

Megatron adopted his trademark wry smile at that. "Oh, please," he answered in a downright patronizing tone. "On average, you could never hope to win against me, Starscream. Save yourself the trouble and give up now before you humiliate yourself again."

As Megatron had anticipated, Starscream advanced towards him with an angry cry, and the Decepticon commander was more than ready to counter the blow. However, Megatron was startled when his optics locked with the jet's, and he saw a resolve in Starscream's face that he'd not ever seen before.

At this, Megatron began to feel a tad apprehensive, which was compounded when the jet stated, in a downright livid tone, "That's enough, Megatron! In all the time I've known you, you have done nothing but belittle whatever talents I have as a soldier! You have done so for the last time." Shifting his stance to continue the attack, Starscream said, "Allow me to show you just how wrong you are…"

*****

After his little spat with Tidal Wave, Shockblast had made a point of keeping away from his colossal comrade, though he hoped that this did settle whatever grievance the big guy had with him. Had he been asked, Shockblast would have said that he'd never seen Tidal Wave before earlier today; he had never been good with faces and had no way of connecting the colossal Decepticon to something that had occurred more than a decade ago.

That matter aside, Shockblast was having the time of his life sticking it to those wretched Autobots by taking out one tower after another. Such a feat was easy for him; as someone who'd chosen an aerial Cybertronian-style cannon as his alternate mode, any one of his shots contained five times more punch than that of those around him. Back when he'd had a Mini-Con boosting his power, he had definitely been a force to be reckoned with.

Being on high alert, Shockblast was able to easily sense a laser bolt originating from the ground coming at him and he banked left to avoid it, having a good chuckle over how idiotic these Autobots could be in thinking they could take him down.

Seeing another tower in his peripheral vision, Shockblast veered off in that general direction, simultaneously lowering his altitude to fire off a shot at the base. For a few tenuous seconds, he halted, shifting his position from left to right to ensure the uninterrupted laser volley took out the entire base of the tower and caused it to start collapsing.

In retrospect, that short moment in which he stopped was most likely what led to the deadly events that followed.

With the task accomplished, Shockblast activated his boosters to start moving again, only to be startled when he was forcibly stopped after a few inches. For an instant, he puzzled over this, then turned his head to try to figure out what was holding him in place.

Even as Shockblast took in the sight of the red laser bindings wrapped around both his wings, he felt himself starting to be dragged downwards. Facing forward and saying a silent thanks that at least the tower was not collapsing in his direction, Shockblast switched off his boosters and twisted around as much as the bindings would allow to get a sense of who was attempting to capture him.

As bad with faces as he might be, Shockblast still was able to recognize Demolisher; it was hard to forget one of the ones who had testified at the trial that resulted in his imprisonment. It also didn't take long to recognize that the hard-edged bot must have some magnetic couplings engaged to hold him to Cybertron's metal surface, so that he could easily draw Shockblast in.

Shockblast cast a quick glance around, instantly feeling thankful that none of the other Autobots were nearby. Clearly, this was a solo mission on Demolisher's part. Still, given the rate at which the laser bindings were shrinking, it wouldn't be long before Shockblast was drawn down to ground level. If that happened, he'd be recaptured for sure.

Shockblast twisted around once more as much as the bindings would allow. While this put Demolisher in his sights, he didn't have a chance of scoring a direct hit. It took a few seconds, but Shockblast did eventually recognize that there _was _something he could do.

Activating his cannon, Shockblast fired off a series of shots that literally tore apart the ground beneath Demolisher's feet. Swiftly, the former faced forward, igniting his boosters at full force; as he hoped, Demolisher's magnetic couplings were rendered useless, and the hard-edged bot was literally yanked off the ground.

However, much to Shockblast's surprise, Demolisher maintained his grip on the gun that the laser bindings were emanating from, showing just how determined he was. The added weight of the hard-edged bot was sufficient to slow Shockblast down, though not by much.

It still proved enough of an annoyance that it prompted Shockblast to activate his coms, sending out a call for assistance from any Decepticons in range. When he was responded to by either silence or some annoying excuse that a comrade of his was too busy, Shockblast eventually came to the conclusion that he was on his own.

Even in those seconds, Demolisher had recovered from the shock that he was now airborne and resumed pressing the button to shrink the bindings. The best he could do at this point was to shorten them enough to actually detain Shockblast in mid air.

Still, it was unfortunate that Demolisher and his would-be captive were separated by almost one hundred yards.

Shockblast hit on almost the perfect plan to both shake Demolisher and potentially get rid of the bindings at the instant that another tower entered his sights. If he'd actually had a mouth, Shockblast would most certainly have been wearing a devious smile.

Increasing his speed slightly, Shockblast fired off a shot at the bottom left end of the tower that was sure to start it collapsing at an angle. Still, it was unfortunate that absolutely no one was in range of this particular structure; it might have been even more gratifying if one or more Autobots had suffered the same fate that Demolisher was about to.

When he started flying beneath the tower as it toppled in his direction, Shockblast didn't foresee any problem or danger to himself. More than likely, Demolisher would release his hold on the gun in an effort to get to safety and the surety that the device would be smashed to bits underneath the tower would get rid of the laser bindings. In either case, Shockblast was guaranteed to be home free.

Unfortunately, just as that thought had crossed Shockblast's mind, Tidal Wave seemed to appear out of nowhere, directly in his path as he was nearing the midway point.

As startled as he was to see an obstacle, Shockblast was still amazingly able to veer left just enough to avoid the big guy. But an instant later, he was given a clear impression of just how much of a grudge the colossal Decepticon had against him.

Tidal Wave grabbed hold of Demolisher as a means of halting Shockblast in his tracks. In the same instant, the big guy began to back up, deliberately drawing the latter back beneath the tower while getting himself and the hard-edged bot to a relatively safer position.

From the second that Shockblast fired his boosters up to their maximum level in his panic, it was all over. This propelled him forward and caught Tidal Wave off guard just enough that the proverbial game of tug-of-war resulted in Demolisher once more being placed in harm's way.

It certainly didn't help that the falling tower was starting to gain momentum. Looking up, Demolisher didn't even have time to yell at the big guy to let go of him, and his panic was so great that he did something that in retrospect was probably incredibly stupid.

He released his hold on the gun.

The instant that Tidal Wave realized that Shockblast was getting away, he unceremoniously and carelessly dropped Demolisher. Fortunately, the hard-edged bot didn't fall far, landing flat on his back with a small grunt; any higher and the impact would have been worse. With wide optics, Demolisher focused on the big guy to see that Tidal Wave was pursuing Shockblast, and it took only seconds for the colossal Decepticon to seize hold of the gun to halt the latter in his tracks once more.

Vaguely, Demolisher could hear several voices calling his name in alarm, indicating that some of the Autobots had to be witnessing this and that they too were panicked. Shifting his gaze upwards, Demolisher began frantically backpedaling, desperately attempting to get out of the way of the monolithic structure while simultaneously willing Tidal Wave to do the same; he couldn't care less what happened to Shockblast at this point.

But it was already too late for all three of them…

*****

As startled as Megatron by the tenacity his opponent displayed, it was nothing compared to the anger he felt when Starscream actually scored a lucky hit or two. In all of his time working with and observing the jet, he had come to see that Starscream was a plucky fighter, but he also had a weakness in that his own emotions often ruled his actions. And, aside from being imbued with many millennia worth of anger, he had never been good enough to actually best Megatron in a fight.

When Megatron actually stated as much in a heated tone, Starscream leaned in with an angered expression, his sword pressing heavily against that of the Decepticon leader's. "Keep it up, Megatron," the jet snarled, "and you'll see just how 'weak' my emotions make me."

Megatron went on as if his opponent hadn't spoken, a cruel smile coming to his lips. "Perhaps I'm wrong to think that your girl is being held captive by Scorpinok. Maybe it turns out she'd actually prefer being around anyone other than your pathetic, whiny self."

Starscream gave a howl of rage once those words sunk in, and he swiftly pivoted on his axis. Drawing his blade away so quickly caused Megatron to stumble slightly. Before the Decepticon leader could regain his balance, Starscream had completed his spin, laying into the guy with such force that it soon sent Megatron sprawling, though his own thrusters still kept him aloft in mid air.

In a split second, Starscream was driving his sword into Megatron's chest, causing his opponent to yell out in pain. Just as swiftly, the jet removed the blade, maneuvering it into a position that gave every indication he was about to deliver a second, more devastating, blow.

But just then, Starscream's comlink buzzed to life, and the sound of Scavenger's voice halted the jet in his tracks, though just barely. "Starscream," the seasoned vet was saying in an unusually agitated tone. "Wherever you are, you need to zero in on my coordinates and get down here now!"

Through gritted teeth, and keeping his attention fully focused on Megatron, Starscream answered, "I'm a little busy."

Scavenger's next words were just as agitated, but they were enough to sufficiently deflate Starscream's anger. "It's Demolisher… One of the towers just collapsed right on top of him!"

Starscream froze and likely would have remained so if he hadn't suddenly been hit in the stomach and made to stumble backwards. Though he did retaliate by swiping at Megatron in a way to get the Decepticon commander to back off, the jet was soon spinning round and taking off for Scavenger's location as fast as he could.

Megatron watched this with an air of satisfaction for a moment, ironically thinking, _What did I tell you, Starscream? You are ruled by your emotions, and you always will be…_

No sooner had the thought crossed Megatron's mind than his own comlink buzzed to life and he was shortly given just as much cause to be concerned. "Sir," came the sound of Snowcat's voice, sounding remarkably shaken. "Can you hear me?"

Megatron sneered at the idiocy of that question. "What is it, Snowcat?" he said impatiently.

A loud gulp sounded over the coms, followed by, "It's Tidal Wave. And Shockblast… I think they're dead, sir…"

"What?!" Megatron roared after an instant, unconsciously moving in the direction where Starscream had gone. While it was true that he was harsh and uncompromising where his soldiers were concerned, he had come to regard Tidal Wave as one of his more valuable troops, and Shockblast had potential to make the grade in this war as well. He'd be slagged if he had just lost both of them in one fell swoop.

In seconds, Megatron was following in Starscream's wake, all thoughts of his quarrel with the jet banished from his mind…

*****

Contrary to what Snowcat had believed, Megatron found that at least one of his soldiers was alright upon close examination, though not quite the one he wanted to be. Paying scant attention to the Autobots that were rushing by on their way to the east end of the fallen tower, Megatron crouched down slightly by the rounded edge where the tower met the ground. By sheer luck, Shockblast had somehow avoided getting crushed by mere inches, though he was confined within some sort of ditch.

Upon hearing from Sideways that Shockblast may have instigated this mess by provoking Tidal Wave, Megatron wasn't very inclined to help free the guy.

It was fortunate that the tower remnants were cracked enough that Megatron and his team were able to get a general idea of where the Tidal Wave was at. Shortly, the Decepticon commander had ordered a large group of his soldiers to work at digging out their colossal comrade.

The team moved swiftly enough that Tidal Wave was sufficiently uncovered in minutes, and Megatron grimaced when he got a view of just how bad the damage was. Amazingly, the colossal Transformer was still conscious and turning his ruined, fluid-stained head in Megatron's direction. In a somber tone, almost as though he knew just how dire his situation was, the big guy said, "Tidal Wave is sorry."

Megatron kept his face and tone blank as he responded, "Save your breath, soldier. You are not going to die if I have anything to say about it." Quickly, he turned, barking out orders to Snowcat, Sideways, Thundercracker, and a few other random Decepticons to aid him in getting Tidal Wave out of here and back to Unicron's remains as swiftly as possible.

They had barely left the planet's surface before the sound of a small explosion reached Megatron's audio sensors, and he idly cast a glance downwards to see that Shockblast had maneuvered into a position that had allowed him to blast his way free of the trench. Ironically, the latter complained, even as he moved to pursue the departing group, that they had a lot of nerve in leaving him to fend for himself.

Megatron shook his head, disbelieving that he'd initially thought that Shockblast would prove to be a valuable asset. _Unbelievable_, he mused. _I actually found someone who's even more pathetic than Starscream ever was…_

*****

Unlike the Decepticons, who'd been able to easily locate their fallen troops, the Autobots had to rely on Red Alert and his medical scanners to pinpoint Demolisher's location beneath the monolithic structure. While the medic kept his equipment running to continuously monitor Demolisher's vital signs from a distance, the others worked tirelessly, hitting the tower with very focused and short bursts of laser fire to break it into chunks and make it easier to clear away the debris.

Starscream didn't know just how long he and his comrades worked, but he was praying all the while for his friend to just hold on until they could get there. At one point, Starxis had even come to quietly perch on his shoulder; Starscream couldn't even think about asking his adopted child what he had learned from reading Megatron's mind, nor did the youngling volunteer any information towards this end.

When Demolisher was at last uncovered, the jet almost froze, paralyzed with fear. "No," Starscream cried, moving forward and doubling his efforts to clear away the rubble. As he worked, he fought to keep his dread over Demolisher's appearance from overwhelming him. The multiple fractures in his friend's armor, splashed with an enormous amount of different colored fluids, definitely did not look good.

After a minute, Starscream leaned towards Demolisher, grasping his friend's face and turning it towards him, trying to ignore the huge crack running down the center. "Demolisher, "Starscream said in a surprisingly soft, though very shaky, tone. "It's going to be okay now. We got you out." A pause, and then, "You just need to wake up for us, alright?"

Red Alert appeared at the edge of the hole above Starscream, brandishing a medical scanner and a portable homing beacon. It took him a long, tense moment to convince the jet to back off. Once the medic confirmed that Demolisher's spark was still pulsating, though it was dangerously faint, Red Alert hooked the beacon onto the fallen soldier and activated his comlink to transmit a message to those stationed in Autobot HQ. "Dr. Jones," the medic said tersely. "I need you to transport Demolisher and myself into the med-bay, right now!"

Starscream didn't know how long he remained there after the medic and his friend vanished from sight, and it was Optimus who actually had to prompt him to move. As he climbed fully out of the hole, Starscream caught sight of the brown fluid now staining his chest and a sick feeling began welling up inside. Dimming his optics, the jet painfully, almost irrationally, thought, _Dear Primus, no! Even you can't be cruel enough to take away two of the people I care most about._

Feeling ill just as much at the thought of not knowing where or in what condition Alexis was as he was about potentially losing his best friend, Starscream didn't immediately register that Optimus was gently suggesting that they all get over to the med-bay to see to Demolisher. After a long silence, the jet nodded, unconsciously moving after the Autobots around him as they started walking.

It took only seconds for every one of them to draw up short, as the unexpected sound of a lone jet engine drew their gazes towards the sky. For those few moments, nobody dared move or speak, though some were wondering if this was a sign of a further attack.

Once the approaching MiG came in for a landing and transformed, Starxis broke the silence, his large green eyes shining with unshed tears. "Mommy," he chirped out in a low, but still deeply joyful, tone, instantly spreading his wings so he could fly towards her.

Alexis' blue optics were shining with an equal amount of emotion as she welcomed the youngling into her hands, hugging him against her chest and bowing her head briefly. An instant later, she looked back up, obviously searching for Starscream by the way her optics latched, almost hungrily, onto him.

Slowly, Starscream moved towards her, almost against his will. He was very much in denial, a part of him certain that this couldn't be real, that she couldn't be here. But he was still able to hear her thoughts, and she his. There were so many emotions dancing across her face, just as there must be with his, as each of them could barely make sense of everything the other had been through, in the short time they'd been separated.

When he was close enough, Starscream hesitated for a long while, then silently reached out to touch her face and felt a strong rush of joy when she reached up with one hand to press his firmly against her metallic skin. In the same instant, Starxis repositioned so he was curled up against Alexis' neck, purring loudly.

There were still many issues to be addressed and questions to be answered, and the future was still so uncertain for both of them. But, Starscream would gladly trade all of that for just this one stolen moment. Wordlessly, he simply put his arms around Alexis and crushed her against him as if he would never let go…


	26. That Which Doesn't Kill Us

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Twenty-Five

Once they'd left Cybertron, it hadn't taken Megatron and his team long to make it back to the battleship. Snowcat and a number of others personally saw to Tidal Wave, by both welding shut the more serious cracks in his armor and replenishing his vital fluids as best they could. And there were three other Decepticons who stepped up to pilot the ship back to Unicron without being asked. For once, Megatron was pleased to have a crew that was so dedicated.

The one exception to this rule was currently pinned, suspended several feet above the floor, against one wall of the bridge by the Decepticon commander. Standing nearby, Sideways was silently shaking his head at just how idiotic Shockblast was. For all of the rogue bot's machinations against the Autobots and Decepticons, he had never had cause to actually dislike any one of them to this extent.

After all, one had to be a complete and utter moron to say in front of Megatron that it was Tidal Wave's fault that they weren't still on Cybertron eliminating the towers _and _have the gall to suggest that letting the big guy die would be a fitting punishment.

"Hold your tongue, Shockblast!" Megatron snarled. "Lest you suffer the same punishment!" After a slight pause, the Decepticon leader went on with, as though anticipating a protest, "Regardless of what started this conflict, I don't look kindly on someone who would deliberately escalate it! If you had left well enough alone, then this disaster could have been avoided."

When Shockblast looked ready to foolishly offer a response, Sideways stepped forward and drew his sword, pointing it at the captive bot's throat. "Oh, please," Sideways said menacingly. "Give us an excuse."

At least Shockblast had some sense when it came to self-preservation. The threat was sufficient to get him to keep his mouth shut. Seeing this, a small smile formed at Megatron's lips. "Now, is there going to be any further problem?"

Shockblast shook his head, inspiring Megatron to let him down, though the Decepticon leader was shortly thereafter commanding him to leave the bridge. Even as he did so, Shockblast was inwardly fuming and thinking, _And here I thought you were the perfect one to be in charge of the Decepticon army, Megatron. Perhaps what's really needed is someone who is more willing to cut loose the dead weight._

With that thought, Shockblast began to brighten, silently scheming that perhaps he'd do a much better job at leading the troops. All he needed was an opportunity to do away with Megatron (and perhaps several of the "elite" soldiers under his command) and all would be well.

Back on the bridge, Megatron activated his comlink, broadcasting a message to Snowcat and anyone else who was looking after Tidal Wave that they had permission to shoot at and/or eliminate Shockblast if he even made a move to approach the colossal bot. With that taken care of, Megatron went to his throne, seating himself and paying scant attention to Sideways and those that were piloting the shuttle until the former came to stand before him.

With crossed arms, Sideways said dryly, "I imagine you'll be using Unicron to repair Tidal Wave."

Megatron scowled slightly. "Why else do you think we're headed there?"

Sideways shifted his weight, a wry look in his optics. "Because where you see a chance to restore him to health, I see opportunity… One thing that went unsaid during that little meeting was what Tidal Wave did wrong during the battle. After all, even Shockblast had enough sense to recognize how much danger he was in." Sideways paused, then went on with, "Perhaps you could rebuild the big guy, just as you did with Snowcat, with a little more intelligence. What could be better than getting a faster, smarter soldier under your command?"

Megatron considered this, then adopted a wide, amused smile. "You just might have a good point, Sideways…"

*****

Once she picked up the info on Demolisher's situation from Starscream's thoughts, it was Alexis who requested that they all venture to the med-bay to talk. Still, once the group was positioned in the observation booth overlooking the infirmary, they remained silent while waiting for some acknowledgment from Red Alert on what the hard-edged bot's chances were.

It was a definite switch, seeing the latter so weak and vulnerable; Alexis had gotten so used to him being a tough guy. Currently, Demolisher was hooked up to many different machines to keep him alive, and he had three different medics working on him, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. As she gathered from reading Starscream's thoughts, Red Alert and the other doctors were working to strengthen Demolisher's spark.

Even so, Alexis delighted in being in Starscream's arms, as he held her against him with his head partially buried in her metallic hair, though her mood didn't show on her face. With a sigh, she stared blankly down into the infirmary, simply thinking, _Please be okay, Demolisher. It wouldn't be fair of you to leave without knowing just how appreciated you are… At the very least, I'd want to thank you for trying to help me._

Starscream let out a deep breath that lightly ruffled her hair and caused her to shiver. After a second, she raised her head slightly and softly said, not even aware she was speaking out loud, "It's good to be home."

This caused Optimus to glance over at her, catching her attention by shifting his weight. "How did you escape Megatron?" he asked, deciding to start with the most basic question first.

Alexis sighed again, throwing a quick glance down into the med-bay. Though she wasn't sure she could get through the entire story without interruption, she looked back up and began with, "Scorpinok… He restored my memory. Shortly after the last battle on Earth, in point of fact."

Before anything further could be said, the group's attention was caught by Red Alert. The medic had been aware that Alexis was back, but hadn't been able to really acknowledge it. He began by stating how glad he was to see her, then got down to business, focusing on Starscream. "Well, good news. We have Demolisher stabilized." A pause, then, "He's very lucky. There's not many Transformers of his size who could walk away from having such a massive building dropped on their head."

Even as Starscream was breathing a sigh of relief, Red Alert cleared his throat and went on with, "The next step will be to remove his spark from its casing so we can work at repairing his body. But I should warn you, Starscream, that the damage done to Demolisher's structure may be too extensive. There's a chance we may have to insert his spark and memories into a brand new form… And I don't yet know what condition his memory banks are in. There's a chance that select parts of his life, as he remembers them, will be gone."

Starscream hesitated, then said, in as peaceful a tone as he could muster, "At least he'll be alive. Thank you, Red Alert."

The medic nodded, shifting his gaze towards Alexis. "Well, I imagine that you all have a lot to talk about, if you'd like to clear out. I'll contact you when we're done operating."

From there, the group dispersed, with the mutual agreement that they would continue their conversation in the conference room of Autobot HQ. Once they were all settled, Optimus kicked things off by asking for details in regards to Alexis' earlier statement.

It took roughly two hours for Alexis to tell her tale and explain why so much time had elapsed between the Jungle City battle and now. While nobody was happy to learn that she had been temporarily taken hostage by the very bot who'd rescued her, Alexis had informed them in no uncertain terms that no harm was done in the long run. "Scorpinok's tactics might have been questionable, but he had a good reason for them. I'm not going to fault him for that, knowing what I now do."

Alexis paused, then added, "In any event, I gave Alpha Q my word that we would not destroy Unicron until this matter is resolved."

As she expected, many of her companions didn't look happy about this. To help placate them, Alexis went on to say, "Look, it's a fair exchange. We help Alpha Q and Scorpinok get their planet back, and they'll give us Unicron. It's as simple as that… I trust them to keep their word, and I ask you all to trust me."

Optimus sighed, crossing his hands together over the tabletop. After a short silence, he said, in all seriousness, "I don't like it… We don't know what would happen if we infuse Unicron with that much Energon. The last thing I'd want to do is awaken him."

Alexis bowed her head. "Then we put a contingency plan in place. Unicron is not nearly as strong as he was before, which means we have a much better chance at putting him down if things get out of hand… But we should give Alpha Q and Scorpinok a chance to make this work. Despite their actions, they're as much the good guys as we are, and Sideways _is _partly to blame for engineering the conflict."

When no one said anything, Alexis leaned back in her chair, a feeling of comfort washing over her when Starscream gave her hand a small squeeze. He obviously knew what she was thinking, and this was his way of showing his support. "Well, that's just fine. Clearly, I should go straight back to them and tell them to stay away," she said by way of warning. "Since almost none of you seem willing to agree to this."

Without waiting for a response, Alexis turned to focus on Optimus. "I didn't expect it from you though," she continued. "Not with the number of times you've shown that you valued and trusted my judgment."

Optimus gave a soft sigh, tilting his head downwards a notch while he silently weighed the options. What ultimately swayed him was the thought of Ironhide and Kicker. While he didn't like the idea that they were still in the company of Alpha Q and Scorpinok, it had been weighing on him as to just how they had arrived in that position.

At last, Optimus looked back up, glancing from Alexis to Starscream to Hot Shot. After addressing each of them in turn, he went on with, "We'll head out to meet Alpha Q halfway… I imagine that Megatron's hands may be full when it comes to his own soldiers, but I'd rather not take any chances. If he comes back to Cybertron anytime soon, I'd prefer that he not find Unicron's head in the vicinity. The rest of you are to stay here to counter him if he does."

Optimus went on to say that they could take one of the nearby shuttles, both to accommodate Starxis (as the youngling would likely not want to leave Alexis' side at this point) and fly out to meet the approaching party as swiftly as possible. Rising from the table, he said firmly, "Let's move out."

*****

The ship that Optimus had selected from the nearby depot was so small that it would only take a single Transformer to pilot it, and its speed would guarantee that its crew would be able to intercept Alpha Q within an hour. Though the voyage would be short, Starscream and Alexis elected to make the most of it, once Optimus stated that they could have some time to themselves in the interim. Starxis, too, had agreed to stay on the bridge for the time being.

Laying on a bunk in one of the ship's staterooms with Alexis curled up against him, Starscream smiled softly when he heard her think that she wished this moment could last forever. (Apparently, they were still close enough to Starxis that the link was still there.) Tightening his grip on her ever so slightly, he tilted his head up to brush his lips against her brow. "It's good to have you back to yourself," he murmured, fighting to hold down the memory of Megatron's shared kisses with her; he'd likely become enraged if he spent time dwelling on that.

Alexis hesitated, then shifted so she could gaze up at him. Starscream soon angled his head so that their optics locked with one another. "It sure beats being forced to battle one another. I never want to go through that again," she murmured, feeling a pang by the silent reaction this got.

Starscream was quiet for a long moment, unsure how to respond. At last, he sighed and stated, in a slightly guarded tone, "In any event, it's good to know you can hold your own in a fight."

Alexis blinked, an indescribable emotion playing over her face. "Don't take this the wrong way," she said softly, "but, in the long run, it's probably a good thing that this happened." She paused, then continued with, "For one thing, we'd otherwise all still be in the dark about what Scorpinok and Alpha Q have been after."

Alexis shifted once more, maneuvering so her hand rested on his chest. "And for another thing… It brought back something you had lost, Starscream. Something you need." With a dead serious look in her optics, she said, "Scavenger was right. It's your anger that really gives you an edge. And maybe… that's who you're meant to be. You just need to incorporate that aspect with who you are now." With a wry smile rising to her lips, she made him laugh with the single thought that entered her mind.

_And promise me you'll give Megatron the extremely good aft-kicking he deserves!_

Starscream grinned, repositioning once more so that their lips met in a deeply passionate kiss. _Anything for you…_

*****

Of all the things that Optimus was anticipating once they reached their destination, all it took was something minor to throw him. Once he and Hot Shot caught sight of Unicron's head, and the two shuttles accompanying it, Optimus blinked several times in disbelief over what he was seeing.

Focused wholly on the red and yellow craft on the left, Optimus said, in a near whisper, "That's the ship that rescued us, the day that Megatron tried to abduct Kicker."

Startled, Hot Shot turned to look at the Autobot commander with wide optics. As he'd been unconscious during the incident in question, he dubiously asked, "Are you sure?!"

Optimus hesitated for the briefest of moments, then nodded. "It matches what we saw in the thermal imaging." He paused, recalling Alexis' tale of Rodimus. He knew of the latter by reputation, and had heard rumors that he had been an excellent soldier back in the day. If not for the fact that that war had been over for some time, not to mention the aid he'd provided during a critical moment, Optimus might have had a few choice words with Rodimus for having gone AWOL when he did.

As it was, Optimus sent out a hail to the advancing ships that Alexis had brought a small group out to greet them. Shortly after this, the three approaching vessels came to a halt, and Optimus broadcast a message over his shuttle's com system to alert Starscream and Alexis that they were needed.

Within minutes, Optimus and the three soldiers who'd accompanied him were exiting the ship and making their way inside Unicron's massive head. Seeing Ironhide and an unfamiliar blue femme watching from the main airlock on Rodimus' ship, Optimus gave the rookie a stern look that guaranteed they'd be having a very serious talk later.

Once in the main chamber, Alexis quickly introduced Alpha Q and Scorpinok to her companions, then watched silently, with a growing sense of hope, as the spindly bot and Optimus at long last began to speak with each other…

_Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have to say that it will be a while until the next one. I'd like to get several chapters written so I can post them all at once. Don't be alarmed if a substantial amount of time passes with no update._

_Next up: The battle to reclaim Unicron from the Decepticons begins..._


	27. Winds of Change

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: I know I said it was going to be a while before the next installment was posted, but things change. I had intended for this chapter to be the first of a three-chapter arc on the upcoming battle sequence, of which the first stages would have been placed at the end of this one, but decided to break it up a little._

_Of the upcoming battle, I will say that there will be some surprises in store for a number of characters, one of which will not be featured in this story for much longer. check out the new poll on my profile page for a chance to guess who will be leaving._

_Until then, enjoy!_

Chapter Twenty-Six

The longer that Optimus listened to Alpha Q speak, the more he began to believe that the spindly bot's intentions were honorable. The only sour moment of the meeting was when Starxis, positioned on Alexis' shoulder, had started having a fit. Amidst his whining and/or screeching, the youngling spoke to Alpha Q, "Head hurts! Stop thinking so much!" But such a problem was easily solved; Optimus shortly excused Starxis and his adopted parents from the room.

In any case, the meeting ended with Optimus and Alpha Q declaring a truce and promising to work together to take down Megatron. Shortly thereafter, the Autobot commander excused himself and began making his way back out with the intention of "visiting" Rodimus' ship.

Though he was disappointed to learn that Ironhide was no longer on board this particular shuttle, Optimus elected to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the three bots who were present. Odds were that Ironhide had made himself scarce as a means of delaying the "talk," but it would be dealt with soon enough.

Optimus started by looking around at the CR tanks and several other gadgets present on the bridge, then went on to say, "Seems the years since you've left Cybertron have been generous, Rodimus."

The latter nodded, his arms crossed in a cavalier manner. Catching a slight edge to Optimus' words, Rodimus said, "That they have." He paused for a moment, then continued, "I imagine I let down more than a few commanding officers back in the day, but I don't apologize for taking off…"

Optimus bowed his head slightly, cutting off his companion before anything further could be said. "And I'm not going to raise an argument about it." After a moment, the Autobot commander looked back up and added, "I know it was you who took out Megatron's jamming device, during one of the recent battles. I only wish to say thank you, Rodimus, and that there's no hard feelings."

Wearing a slight smile, Rodimus said simply that he was welcome, expecting that this would conclude the conversation between him and the Autobot commander. So, he was definitely surprised when Optimus shifted his weight and went on with, "Alexis… Sky Dancer, that is… She had told me about what you've been up to, that you make your way as a merchant now." When Rodimus offered an acknowledgment, Optimus hesitantly said, "To be honest, I feel that getting Unicron away from Megatron is not going to be a simple task, and we could use all the help we can get. I was hoping that you might know a few Transformers willing to lend a hand, with all the colonies you've been to."

Rodimus was silent for a brief moment, then abruptly nodded. "Of course," he said in an even tone. "I'll contact them as soon as I can."

Following this short exchange, Optimus looked towards Chromia and Elita, instantly getting the impression that the latter must be shy given that she was looking towards the floor. He quietly said that it was nice to make their acquaintance and was taking his leave within seconds.

An instant later, Rodimus was turning towards Chromia to make preparations to fly within radio range of the desired colonies. So lost in their own thoughts, none of the three noticed when Elita tilted her head up slightly, a sparkle in her optics as she watched the Autobot commander depart…

*****

After departing Rodimus' ship, it didn't take Optimus very long to gain admittance to the one commandeered by Kicker and Ironhide. He even saw fit to punch in an entry code on the keypad by the airlock, so that those on board would not have much forewarning that he was coming.

Six pairs of eyes and/or optics came to focus on Optimus with varying degrees of anxiety at the instant he entered the bridge. For a moment, the Autobot commander waited to see if Kicker or Ironhide might say something, apologetic or otherwise, then started things off by saying, "If the two of you weren't so needed in the battle to come, I wouldn't hesitate to either lock you in the brig for an extended period or hand you over to your parents to face the consequences… But I will say that, when this is over, both of you are going to be in a heap of trouble."

Misha started to say something in their defense, but a look from Optimus effectively silenced her; she imagined that she was in just as deep, especially when it came to Brian and Miranda Jones. Kicker, on the other hand, wasn't deterred so easily. "We were just trying to help."

Optimus turned to focus on the hotheaded teenager, looking downright furious. "Which you could have accomplished better by staying put," he said sternly. A pause, and then, "We needed you and Ironhide with us on Cybertron, once Megatron got it into his head to place a call for new recruits. For one thing, you're the only one who can tell us where Sideways is at all times, Kicker."

Optimus went on to explain about the disaster with the grid towers, simultaneously filling them all in on Demolisher's fate. Looking towards Ironhide at the conclusion of this speech, he added, "Even just one more soldier at our disposal might have made a difference, maybe would have helped us avoid a near catastrophe. Think about that next time before you fly off half-cocked."

Optimus hesitated for a moment to let that sink in, then averted his gaze once more to focus on the three Mini-Cons gathered around the central console. Addressing them each in turn, he said in a low tone that indicated he wasn't happy about the part they'd played in this scenario, "As for you three… We're going to have a serious talk later..."

*****

It had to be sheer luck that there was no sign that another attack was imminent as the day wore on. Once all matters had been taken care of and Alpha Q had agreed to stay where he was for the time being, the majority of the group, Scorpinok included, had made their way back to Cybertron to either get updated on pressing issues or begin strategizing for their plan of attack. Or, in Kicker and Misha's case, face the music where his parents were concerned.

Upon their return to the metallic planet, Starscream and Alexis had made their way back to the observation booth, though they were granted permission to venture directly into the med-bay by Red Alert within seconds. As the medic told them as he was leading them towards a separate room at the rear of the infirmary, Demolisher's spark and memory core had needed to be transplanted into a protoform almost equal in size to the hard-edged bot's former body.

"I would have brought him online right away," Red Alert went on to state, "but I thought you both might want to be here for when he woke up… I did a routine scan of his memory once it was transplanted. Fortunately, the majority of it is still intact, but there will still be some blank spots. I couldn't tell you offhand what he will or will not remember of the past decade."

Alexis nodded in response and offered a quiet thank you. In moments, both jets found themselves face to face with a generic Transformer body spread out on a solitary bunk, not unlike the initial form Alexis had worn following her conversion. If not for Red Alert's claim, she would have had a hard time connecting this bot before her to the Demolisher she had grown to like and respect.

Once Red Alert had initiated whatever needed to be done to awaken Demolisher, he quietly said that he'd leave the three of them to, in a sense, get reacquainted and left the room.

The seconds that ensued seemed to drag on, as the two jets waited with growing anticipation. Demolisher's systems seemed to whir to life with painstaking slowness, and it took time for his optics, now a rich shade of bluish-purple, to light up. He blinked several times, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, before his face melted into an expression of uncertainty.

Getting the impression that Demolisher may be unsure if he was alive or dead, Starscream let go of Alexis and stepped forward, laying his hand on one side of the bunk and smiling ever so slightly when his friend turned to look in his direction. "Welcome back," Starscream said softly. After a slight pause and seeing that Demolisher still looked confused, he added, "What's the last thing you remember?"

Demolisher was silent for a long while, then hesitantly raised one arm and turned his gaze towards it. Perhaps he'd wanted to confirm that he was still functioning, if not unchanged. With a deep sigh, he said, a slight weariness to his tone, "I would have never pegged Tidal Wave as carrying such a grudge."

Under Starscream's inquiries, Demolisher went on to explain what that meant. "At least now I know not to try to get between Shockblast and the big guy… provided that they're both still alive."

Starscream's smile widened slightly, and he reached out to clasp Demolisher's hand in his own. "I'm going to hold you to that," he warned. "If you ever scare me like that again, I'll make you wish you had gone offline today."

Demolisher chuckled slightly, at which point Alexis shifted her weight, prepared to clear her throat as a means of making her presence known. She soon found that she needn't have bothered; Demolisher must have seen the flicker of movement, for his gaze turned in her direction. She had to resist the urge to laugh when his optics grew wide at the sight of her.

She offered a very abbreviated version of her rescue by Scorpinok and the alliance with Alpha Q, with the promise that the tale could be told in greater detail later. With that out of the way, Alexis took a few hesitant steps towards the bunk, smiling slightly when she saw Demolisher make a move to sit up straight. Softly, she said, "Thank you for trying to save me from Megatron. I owe you one, Demolisher, whether the attempt worked or not." She paused, raising one hand to touch her brow; her next words caused him to laugh out loud. "And I do forgive you."

Starscream laughed as well, both in response to Alexis' thoughts on the matter and to the realization that, whatever memories Demolisher might have lost, they weren't the most important ones. Clearly, the hard-edged bot still remembered his recent time in Megatron's company and the looming "threat" of Unicron.

At the thought of the latter, Starscream turned serious, shifting his weight to draw his friend's attention. "We are going to be going into battle against Megatron soon. Hopefully bring this whole mess to an end. If you're up to joining us, you might want to select a new alternate mode."

Demolisher hesitated, remaining silent as he looked from Starscream to Alexis and back again. At last, he let out a deep sigh, saying simply, "I'll have a look through the database in Autobot headquarters later, see if something strikes me." He paused, then began chuckling, causing Starscream to regard him with a dubious expression. With a note of humor, Demolisher said, "Well, it seems everyone in the old team is getting overhauled. Megatron, Cyclonus, me… I'd be surprised if Tidal Wave, if he survived, didn't need to be refurbished."

Demolisher paused, then glanced up at Starscream with a wry expression. "What do you say? Care to get new and improved yourself?"

Starscream thoughtfully mulled this over, then said simply, "We'll see…"

*****

One of the first points that was addressed, when the Autobot team convened that evening, along with Rodimus, his girls, and Scorpinok, was aimed directly at Kicker. As Optimus revealed, he had had a talk with High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock. It soon became apparent to all that the three Mini-Cons would be going away, that they were no longer allowed to be around the hotheaded teenager for the boy's own good. Alexis personally was saddened to hear this, but it was abated when Optimus turned and informed her that she'd have a chance to say goodbye if she wished.

When Kicker questioned if he was going to be sent home per the request of his parents, Optimus went on to say that he'd spoken to Brian and Miranda. "They know that you'll be needed for this coming battle and have agreed to let you stay with us for the time being."

Optimus then averted his attention to look towards Demolisher. He was pleased that the hard-edged bot had made such a good recovery and briefly commented on his new choice of vehicle. If anything, Demolisher looked just as brawny as he had before, but he was slightly taller and his armor now had a rich crimson and ebony shade. And the massive rubber tires positioned at his legs and upper arms left almost no doubt that he'd selected a monster truck as his alternate mode.

Off of Starscream's comment that Demolisher, save for a pair of gun attachments, seemed to be lacking in personal weaponry, the hard-edged bot had merely adopted a wry grin and reached up to grasp the metal axles attached to each tire on his arms. A second later, both had been detached from his frame, and Demolisher activated some internal mechanism that automatically covered the tires with a gleaming silver shield of metal. Even as Alexis delightedly mused that the devices looked akin to a set of clubs, Demolisher was saying, "Thought I'd take a page from you and Alexis and work in my own trademark weapon."

Following that exchange, the group really got down to business, and Rodimus kicked things off by taking a step forward and saying, "I have gotten some others willing to help us already en route. They should be arriving in the vicinity of Cybertron very late this evening, Optimus, so you may want to instruct your troops to be on alert."

Optimus nodded. "That's good," he said absently, shifting his gaze towards Starscream an instant later. "I'd talked with a number of troops out on the battlefield today, and I've gotten some conflicting reports that Megatron may have inadvertently gained a few extra members to his team. Some of the soldiers he'd abandoned earlier are now being rumored to have gone with him following the collapse of the tower. I was hoping you might have a look at the surveillance feeds to confirm this."

Starscream nodded, idly noting, "The Decepticons in general may be an unruly bunch, but there is still a sense of loyalty among them. More than likely, it might have been out of concern over Tidal Wave or, Primus forbid, Shockblast, and not because of some unwavering devotion to Megatron."

Scorpinok, who'd been watching the proceedings in silence, chose to cut in at this point. He'd informed them at the start of the meeting (and Starxis had confirmed it) that Alpha Q was watching all this from afar. "So perhaps we could start strategizing on how we're going to get Unicron away from Megatron."

Optimus shifted his gaze towards Scorpinok briefly, then focused on the group as a whole when he provided an answer. "I'm thinking that the best course of action would be to divide into two teams. One group will attempt to get inside Unicron, and the other will be assigned to a fleet on the exterior. The latter group will take care of, or keep busy, anyone or anything that Megatron may throw at us in this manner. We have to assume that he may even have Unicron's own weapons systems at his disposal. Towards this end… Anyone who wants to volunteer may do so."

Optimus looked back towards Scorpinok. "And I'd like for you to lead the charge once we get inside Unicron. Out of everyone here, you're the only one who's spent an ample amount of time there, and you'd know the layout better than any of us."

Scorpinok gave a single nod. "But be advised that Megatron will have a few tricks to throw at us in this manner as well… That is partially how he escaped being assassinated by Sideways, by making use of Unicron's capabilities."

Alexis shifted her weight, drawing attention by clearing her throat. "On that subject… Alpha Q implied that Megatron could use Unicron to pinpoint his location. Could the reverse be true?" When Scorpinok answered yes and gave her a quizzical look, Alexis went on with, "Megatron's no fool when it comes to little details, nor is Sideways. He would have suspected that I'd return home and that I'd come back with reinforcements. He could easily have moved his half of Unicron to a different locale just to be on the safe side."

Scorpinok hesitated, then abruptly lowered his visor to cover his optics. For a moment, he spoke in a low tone, the words indicating that he and Alpha Q were conversing on this matter. At last, Scorpinok focused back on the Autobots and said simply, following it with a set of coordinates that Red Alert quickly jotted down, "It can be done."

Optimus let out a sigh. "Good," he said, shortly going back to addressing the whole group. "We'll have some time before the troops contracted by Rodimus arrive. I suggest we use that time to get some rest. We'll stage our attack first thing in the morning." He shifted his gaze towards Alexis, then Scorpinok, and added, "At least we can say that we have a big advantage, but it's one that I prefer that Megatron remain unaware of for the time being. If he launches another attack against us, whether on Cybertron or on Earth, I want the both of you to stay well out of sight."

Following the conclusion of the meeting, Alexis was quietly told by Optimus where she could find the three Mini-Cons she'd once considered the closest of friends. While it was true she had drifted away from them over the years, there was still enough of a rapport that it hurt to think that they'd no longer be around. Though Optimus had merely requested that they no longer hang around Kicker, it had been the decision of High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock on what that meant.

In short, the three Mini-Cons had decided that it was time they rejoin their own brothers. Wherever that may be, it wasn't anywhere on Earth or Cybertron.

Starscream accompanied her to the nearby spaceport, but said he'd wait outside while she ventured into the adjacent hangar. Slowly, Alexis wandered through the expansive building, stopping only long enough to glance here and there, until she came upon the three miniature bots.

They must have been expecting her, for Sureshock was the first to speak. "Do not be sad, Alexis. This is a journey that is long overdue."

She dropped to her knees so that her companions could see her better, feeling a touch of irony at the notion that she'd once been about the same size as them. "It's just hard, saying goodbye… It was because of you three, and all the other Mini-Cons, that the Transformers even came to Earth in the first place. You have helped shape, indirectly or not, so many destinies since that day."

High Wire gave a soft sigh. "And once we were free of Unicron's influence, there was only one reason to stay. The bonds we shared with you, Rad, and Carlos kept us grounded when so many of our kind had departed." He paused, then went on with, "But we must be honest. We haven't been needed for some time now. Those bonds have long since faded. You all have grown and moved on. It's time for us to do the same."

"Allow me to speak for Rad and Carlos as much as for myself when I say you will be missed," Alexis said softly, though she realized after she said it that High Wire and Grindor just might go say their farewells in person.

Sureshock shook his head, drawing her attention. "This is not forever… It is just until we get things sorted out. We've lived in the shadow of humans and of our larger counterparts long enough. It is time to figure out who we are, who we'll be, on our own. If anyone could understand that, it would be you, Alexis. You were always the intuitive one." He stepped forward, laying one hand against one of her large metal fingers. "I will always be proud to have called you a friend."

She nodded, then abruptly reached out to pick him up and elevate him so they were face to face. "I will too, more than you know." Alexis paused; there was so much she wanted to say, but that could take hours, and she would need to rest up for the battle to come. Instead, she summed it up with two simple words. "Goodbye, Sureshock…"

*****

Upon their arrival at Unicron's remains, Megatron had ordered that Tidal Wave be carried into the main chamber, not an easy feat considering his sheer size. It had taken at least thirty Decepticons total to transport the big guy without causing him further harm.

Following this task, Snowcat had gone to stand at one edge of the chamber, uncharacteristically silent and deep in thought for a change, as he blindly watched Megatron and Sideways at work with Tidal Wave's reformatting. On some level, he would say that the decision made sense; the big guy would benefit from gaining some intelligence.

Snowcat threw a quick glance towards Shockblast, a sneer rising to his face when he saw the latter standing at the far entrance to the room and apparently sulking. _I wish you had given us an excuse to eliminate you while en route_, Snowcat thought maliciously, his musings turning towards Demolisher seconds later.

Snowcat didn't know if the hard-edged bot was alive or dead, but seeing him get hurt had cut just as deep. With a sigh, Snowcat barely acknowledged that Thundercracker had come over to engage him in quiet conversation, though he did halfheartedly start chitchatting with the Decepticon rookie. Idly, the eccentric bot wondered how long it might be before they returned to the battlefield. After all, Tidal Wave would need time to get acclimated to his new body, and Megatron just might be patient enough to allow for that.

Watching as Tidal Wave's spark was being transplanted into a new, significantly smaller form, Snowcat tiredly mused, thinking back to what Demolisher had said, _I wonder if there really is a good reason to stay…_

*****

Despite how long the day had been, Ironhide was at the moment too wound up to rest. Though he'd lain on his bunk for some time waiting for sleep to catch him, he eventually decided that heading down to the simulation rooms for a training exercise might be just what he needed to blow off steam.

The last thing he expected to see, shortly after he had gotten underway, was for Scorpinok to be standing silently in the barrack's hallway, gazing out over Cybertron's surface. Though Ironhide was unsure if Scorpinok had heard him, the latter tilted his head up a notch and said aloud, in a tone that indicated he knew he had company, "I'd almost forgotten just how beautiful Cybertron was."

Ironhide furrowed his brow. "Beautiful, huh?" he said skeptically, taking a few steps closer so he too could peer out the window. "Not quite the word I would have applied to it."

Scorpinok adopted a small, wry smile. "Try saying that after you haven't seen it for millions of years."

Ironhide nodded after a moment. "Point taken." He paused for a long while, then tentatively said, "Sky Dancer said you were quite the experienced soldier."

Scorpinok's smile grew slightly larger. "Still am, rookie," he said lightly, without malice.

Ironhide could feel his face burning after a moment. "Right," he said in embarrassment. A pause, and then, "So, maybe you could…?"

Scorpinok turned to face Ironhide, summing it all up with a few simple words. "Lesson number one -- Never be nervous when it comes to asking for help in improving your own skills…"

*****

Like Ironhide, Alexis was also having trouble sleeping, though for her, it was more due to a case of nerves. She didn't know how long she lay awake, wrapped in Starscream's arms, before her fellow jet showed he too was awake by tightening his grip on her.

Without moving, Starscream said softly, "There's nothing to fear. You're back among those who love you, and there is not one among us who won't hesitate to give their all to protect you."

Alexis, too, didn't move; it was comforting enough just to know he was resting on the bunk right behind her without having to look at him. Starscream didn't even have to read her mind to know what she was anxious about; had their situations been reversed, he might have felt just as she did.

Alexis shifted her gaze to look at the vial of nanobots sitting on the nightstand, given to her by Elita just after the meeting with the Mini-Cons. "I know," she answered. "Megatron's not likely to get his claws into me again without a fight. And I shouldn't be nervous about coming face to face with him again, but…"

Starscream shifted his weight and put one hand to her fact, turning her head so she was gazing at him. "Hey," he said gently. "None of that." He paused, the look in his orange optics greatly comforting her. "We'll be alright… And I will kill Megatron before I let him take you away again. You have my word on that."

She hesitated, then offered a reassured smile, willing herself to relax and forget about all the possibilities connected with tomorrow's battle. Whatever the situation, she'd adapt to it as it arose and hopefully make it work in her favor.

To further put her at ease, Starscream leaned closer, resting his face against her neck and whispering something that made her forget everything except being in this moment.

"And when this is all over, then we can concentrate on the future… and on the second child we're going to have…"


	28. United Front

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Twenty-Seven

When the Autobot team convened in the main hall of their headquarters to gear up for the impending battle, it was all Alexis could do to maintain a serious façade. Even after almost twelve hours, she was still giddy over Starscream's promise of accepting a sparkling into their lives, which she was doing her best to keep hidden from the fellow soldiers around her.

Ironically, she found that she probably needn't have been concerned with maintaining appearances when Elita entered the room, closely followed by Chromia. Given the way the latter was shouting and Elita responded in an equally-raised tone, Alexis was surprised that she hadn't heard them coming. It was indicative of just how soundproof the walls were.

As Alexis, Starscream, Optimus, and the others gathered from listening, Chromia wasn't happy about the role her sister had chosen to play in the upcoming fight. "You cannot be serious!" Chromia was yelling, grasping Elita fiercely by one arm to make her sister turn and face her. "You've never been that good with laser weapons. You're only going to force anyone else who ventures inside Unicron to waste time covering you."

Elita yanked her arm away, her blue optics burning with anger and oblivious of who was watching. "How about you stop comparing me to yourself, Chromia? Just because my skills aren't on the same level doesn't mean they're worth nothing!"

Rodimus took a step forward, shaking away his shock over their sudden entrance. In a downright fierce tone, he said, "Chromia, Elita, stop! This is not the time for this!" He paused, throwing a short apologetic glance towards Optimus, then went back to addressing the two femmes before him. "Save your complaints for after the battle. Until then…" He looked towards Elita, and though he didn't seem entirely happy with what she'd chosen, he said, "Do what you deem is necessary. We're all going to be looking out for each other as is."

Elita blinked, then looked around at her audience before shifting her gaze shyly towards the floor and offering a quiet apology. Chromia, on the other hand, adopted an almost defiant look, but said nothing more.

Optimus sighed, looking around at the troops (and humans) gathered around him and preceded to give out some last minute instructions. "Kicker, Misha, you two will stay on board Rodimus' shuttle with Red Alert while the battle's being waged," he said, knowing full well that the Autobots' medic understood how to operate the ship's cloaking device. Moving to hand a small comlink device to Kicker, he added, "We'll need you to warn us right away if Sideways gets even remotely close to anyone on the team. With any luck, Megatron and the Decepticons will never even know you're there."

Alexis bit her lip, then turned to look at the youngling perched on her shoulder. "That goes for you too, Starxis," she said softly, in a near whisper. When he responded by gently nuzzling her face with his head, she smiled warmly and reached out to stroke his fur in a reassuring way. "I promise you, I'll be back," she murmured.

Starxis raised his head to look at her, quietly chirping, "Good luck, Mommy."

Alexis returned her focus to the Autobot commander when he directed everyone to head for the shuttle depot and divide up into their chosen groups. Securing the rifle and pistol that Starscream had insisted she carry, she followed after her comrades as they began to shuffle from the room. After watching Kicker, Misha, Starxis, and Red Alert board Rodimus' ship, she turned to step aboard the one she'd been designated to. As she did so, she mused, thankful for once that Starscream likely couldn't hear her, _Here's hoping I'll be able to keep that promise._

Once on board the bridge of the ship, Alexis exchanged a look with her fellow jet before positioning herself near Scorpinok. If anything, she wanted a chance to confer with their new ally while en route. As she seated herself, she looked around at the bridge's other occupants. The faces of Optimus, Jetfire, Demolisher, Ironhide, Rodimus, Elita, and one of last night's arrivals (Bluestreak, she thought his name was) were all set with hard lines and varying degrees of tension. Anyone not present here or on the other shuttle was part of the warship fleet.

It seemed like such a small team to be infiltrating Unicron, but then, they would gain one advantage over Megatron straightaway. As Scorpinok had said shortly after they'd started preparing for battle, the Terrorcons in the Decepticon leader's possession would be more prone to follow orders that came from him and could be used to turn the tides.

Scorpinok glanced at her blankly when he saw she was settling into the seat next to him and strapping herself in for liftoff. She couldn't tell by his face what he was thinking. After a moment of watching her comrades prep the shuttle for launch, she sighed and looked back at the majestic bot, speaking to him in low tones.

"I was curious if Alpha Q was going to be joining us once the battle gets underway," she stated. "You never said."

Scorpinok sighed, and the way he lightly shook his head told her this wasn't intended as a response. "I told him he could trust us to finish this on our own, that the Autobots know how to handle Megatron. In either case, I think Alpha Q is too scared to face off against the Decepticons' leader."

Alexis nodded solemnly, prepared to say something further when Scorpinok abruptly tilted his head to one side, looking for all the world like he was listening to something. It took her only seconds to work this out. "He just contacted you," she said matter-of-factly. "What did he say?"

Scorpinok gave an almost imperceptible nod. "He wishes us luck. But he'll be watching from afar on how events play out." A pause, and then, "If for some reason we need his help, he'll be there."

Alexis sighed once more, offering a small smile by way of acknowledgment before facing forward. For a moment, she concentrated on the other inhabitants on the bridge, and on the rumbling of the ship beneath her as the engines powered up and they began to lift away from Cybertron. Seconds later, Scorpinok grabbed her attention by speaking once more.

"I should thank you, for making all this possible," Scorpinok said softly, his red optics carrying a peacefulness she'd not expected to see, particularly now. "If all goes as planned, I should say that both Alpha Q and myself will owe you one. If there's ever anything we can do to repay you…"

Alexis gave a short, soft chuckle, amused that he was laying all the responsibility for this alliance on her shoulders when he'd played a hand in it as well. "Why don't we see about bringing your planet back before we delve into who owes who?" she questioned softly, and looked away when it became evident that their conversation was truly concluded…

*****

The decision to transplant Tidal Wave's spark into a smaller body had been made off of Sideways' comment that it would benefit the big guy to be more maneuverable and speedy in addition to the intelligence upgrade. Megatron had readily agreed, anxious to gain a soldier under his command who was enhanced in all areas.

But now, gazing upon the new and improved soldier who stood before him, Megatron did his best to keep from grimacing, regretting his additional agreement to let Sideways "help" Tidal Wave in selecting a new vehicle mode. Given the latter's appearance, it was clear that Sideways was still prone to playing games and had a twisted sense of humor.

In either case, Megatron was pretty slagging curious as to just how and why Tidal Wave had been talked into adopting a slender, curvy form that bore feminine characteristics. The new name that had been chosen, Mirage, was just as puzzling and annoying. Megatron couldn't even begin to guess at what, in regards to the big guy's new alternate mode of a violet, white, and orange boat called an Ekranoplan, had inspired it, nor did he know just whose idea it had been.

However, the demonstration of Mirage's weaponry and skills was enough to curb Megatron's annoyance. Well, that and the sight of Shockblast standing at the far end of the cavern, clearly sulking. Something about the notion that the troublesome mech was irritated by Tidal Wave's recovery and reformatting put Megatron in good spirits. Anything that grated on Shockblast's nerves was something that the Decepticon leader could use for a source of quick amusement.

Following the show, Megatron had suggested to Snowcat and Thundercracker that they spend several hours training Mirage, to get the "big guy" sufficiently acclimated with his new form as swiftly as possible. Shortly thereafter, Sideways idly mentioned to Shockblast, with a threatening undertone, that he would be watched at all times, whether he was aware of it or not.

As he dozed off in his throne, the one thought that crossed Megatron's mind was that at least he still had a pretty good, elite group under his command. While Thundercracker was still very much a rookie, he'd definitely shown great tenacity in the time that Megatron had observed him; Snowcat and Mirage could teach him a few tricks that would make him far superior.

As to Sideways… Megatron had half expected that the rogue bot wouldn't stick around, but was glad to have been proven wrong. Given Sideways' capabilities, he had proven to be the Decepticons' most valuable asset, and the fact that he was becoming more and more of a team player guaranteed that he wouldn't be deserting anytime soon.

The last thought that crossed Megatron's mind before sleep caught him was that perhaps he'd stage another attack against Cybertron tomorrow. After all, the last thing he wanted to allow was for the Autobots to recoup from their losses and begin their little project anew.

As Megatron discovered, just seconds after being rudely awakened by Thundercracker (who'd soon been smacked for the trouble), there were developments that he could not have planned for.

When he started receiving reports from the rookie and a few troops positioned on Unicron's exterior that the Autobot fleet was closing in and fast, Megatron's initial thought was that it had to be a joke. Surely, the enemy soldiers could not know where he was. But when Unicron began to be hit with laser fire and missiles, the Decepticon leader knew for sure that the claims could not be denied.

Barking at Thundercracker to go and aid his fellow Decepticons instead of standing around like an idiot, Megatron ironically suffered a moment or two of indecision before turning towards the cable draped over one side of the throne. With a wry grin, he attached it to a port at the back of his neck, fully intending to patch into Unicron's processor.

Seating himself once more, Megatron amusedly said, to no one in particular, "Let's see how you hold up under the powers of a God, Autobots…"

*****

It was nothing short of pandemonium, once the battle officially commenced. Up until the point that their shuttle had reached a spot near enough for the team to disembark, Alexis had been focused on the smaller battleships as they either provided cover fire or engaged in combat against Megatron's troops. And when Unicron began shifting/transforming out of his planet mode, she just knew they were in for it.

Though Scorpinok expressed amazement that Megatron had figured out how to initiate Unicron's transformation, he also noted that the maneuver made sense. "It allows him access to the full extent of Unicron's firepower." Looking around at the bridge's other occupants, or rather, flyers, he said, "We should all stay on high alert and be ready to move at a second's notice as we're going in."

A minute later, Scorpinok and Optimus had both determined that they were close enough that they'd be able to journey the remaining distance independent of the ship. Hearing this, Alexis undid her harness and moved to get to her feet, only to be startled when she saw Starscream in front of her in an instant.

Her fellow jet barely gave her a chance to react before gripping the back of her head and pressing his lips to hers in a way that would have left her breathless. Pulling away and leaning his brow against hers for a few tenuous seconds, he whispered, "Be careful out there."

Alexis gave a brisk nod, watching him with slightly dazed optics as he backed away. "You too," she murmured, though she wasn't certain that he heard her as he had already turned and was moving after Jetfire.

Just as they were reaching the airlock, Red Alert reached them over the coms to provide his exact coordinates, to ensure that no stray shots came his way from his own team. Alexis was surprised to learn that he had positioned Rodimus' shuttle, by her perspective, about a thousand yards to the right of Unicron's chest, slightly behind a large meteor. _At least none of the Decepticons are aiming in that direction,_ she thought after a moment, in an effort to assure herself that Kicker, Misha, and Starxis would be okay during the proceedings.

In seconds, Alexis, Starscream, Optimus, Jetfire, and Scorpinok were in the air in their robot guises, each of them armed with laser rifles and transporting one of their (likewise-armed) ground-based compatriots.

In retrospect, Alexis would always say that keeping her head under the circumstances was nothing short of a miracle. In between dodging laser fire on her own behalf and that of Elita, maintaining a relatively steady flight path, taking shots at the enemy bots that posed the biggest threats, and fighting to keep her panic in check, it was amazing she didn't lose her mind. Later on, she would cite the experience as being what prompted her to want to gain better focus.

When at last Alexis landed on Unicron's hull -- somewhere around the stomach area that was currently a relative Decepticon-free zone -- and split from Elita, with both of them seeking cover in opposite directions, the femme jet breathed a sigh of relief, briefly turning her optics skyward to see that the still-airborne Jetfire and Bluestreak were alright.

An instant later, Alexis turned and leaned partially over the low outcropping she was shielded behind, her optics picking out three targets in a millisecond. Vaguely aware that Ironhide had been deposited next to her, she resumed with the firefight, her audio sensors on full alert in case she was told to advance with the promise of cover fire.

This situation, too, was nothing short of chaotic, as the ten of them were soon under siege by Unicron's defenses and a large group of enemy bots. Alexis had to force herself to stay focused, despite knowing full well that she had nine comrades watching out for her, not to mention the fleet that was covering them from above. Ironically, she even wished at one point that she was still able to hear Starscream's thoughts; communicating with him telepathically would have been a comfort.

Eventually, however, it was determined by both Scorpinok and Optimus that trying to break through the Decepticon lines, to enter Unicron from wherever the enemy soldiers had exited, would be too much of a challenge. This led to Demolisher, Elita, Bluestreak, and Ironhide concentrating their fire on a particular region, for the purpose of blasting their way through Unicron's hull.

It became apparent within minutes that this scheme was not working to their advantage; the chassis of the dark god was too thick and it would take more time than any of them would have liked to break through. Optimus seemed about to ask for other suggestions when Scorpinok suddenly froze. Several of his companions turned to look at him fleetingly when they realized he was no longer shooting, only to find him looking skyward with a fully bewildered expression.

Alexis barely caught what Scorpinok said next, it was spoken so softly. But at least it gave her a clue as to what was up. "Thanks for giving us more of a warning, Alpha Q," he said with a derisive note, before turning his gaze towards those around him. "We need to move," Scorpinok added in a louder, no-nonsense tone. "Two hundred yards northeast! Drive, or fly, as fast as you can! Now!"

Ironhide looked towards Scorpinok in puzzlement, intending to ask why and state that they weren't in any danger here. The words caught in his throat when a flicker of movement from above drew his optics skyward. "Oh, slag!" he breathed, seeing the cause for concern.

Given the urgency with which Scorpinok and Ironhide started moving, transforming to their respective vehicle modes and taking off at top speed, the rest of the group thought it best not to question it or stop to look. As she shifted to her jet mode and took to the air, Alexis braced herself for whatever hits she might take from the Decepticons' weapons, now that she was vulnerable. So it came as a surprise when the enemy troops ceased firing; when she activated her external sensors, Alexis found that many of them looked to be in shock. Whatever was coming, it wasn't theirs.

She had scarcely reached the safe zone designated by Scorpinok when she felt rather than heard something crash into the area she'd just vacated. Switching back to her bot mode, she cast her gaze downwards to see that Ironhide, Demolisher, Bluestreak, Rodimus, and Elita had been affected by that same shockwave. Though they were all still in vehicle mode, the five of them looked slightly wobbly, as though the ground beneath them was plagued by massive tremors.

Aware that the sound of crunching metal was echoing loudly in the air, Alexis slowly rotated in mid-air to see what had just happened. In the same instant, she could hear Scorpinok lightly saying, to no one in particular, "You're still as rash as ever, Alpha Q… But thanks for the assistance."

Alexis almost laughed out loud when she caught sight of one of the two massive horns adorning Unicron's head. Though she was too close to get the full view, she could see that the horn had punched through part of the dark god's stomach, giving every indication on how fast Alpha Q had been soaring in. And it provided her group with an easy entrance and a great advantage on getting to Megatron without too much hindrance.

As she followed Optimus and Starscream through the makeshift entrance into Unicron's interior, she took note of the fact that Alpha Q's half of the dark god was likely wedged here for the time being; he'd not be able to break free without help.

She mentioned as much to Scorpinok, the concerned note in her voice causing him to reply that Alpha Q would be safe for the time being. "He's sealed himself inside. Any Decepticon that tries to get at him is going to face just as much trouble shooting through Unicron's hull as we did," Scorpinok said. A pause, and then, "And Sideways, more than likely, is soon going to be too occupied to even try."

Scorpinok drew in a breath, looking around the cavernous tunnel in an attempt to get his bearings, then motioned for his companions to follow him into the depths. "Now come on. The sooner we get this over with, the better…"

*****

When he'd seen Unicron's head zooming in and subsequently rip into the massive body, Shockblast had been just as struck dumb as the rest of the Decepticons. Such a feeling didn't last however, when he viewed the small group of Autobots make their way inside. And, as dull as his memory might be at times, Shockblast was just smart enough to see something fishy about this.

Tilting his head to one side, Shockblast wryly mused that the Autobots must have an ulterior motive for being here. If their goal was simply to annihilate Unicron, this task could have been easily achieved by amassing all their firepower on the exterior of the dark god. After all, Unicron was already inactive; there was nothing to be gained by attacking his vital systems other than to disable his weapons, which any seasoned warrior could easily avoid.

Thus, the only logical reason for them to want to penetrate Unicron's hull would be that they were after Megatron.

It was a good thing that Shockblast's face was next to impossible to read, or the mischievous feeling that was washing over him would have aroused suspicion from his own team. As he responded to Snowcat's call that half of the Decepticon soldiers get back inside to head off the invading team, Shockblast's processor was adrift with schemes over how this could work to his advantage in unseating Megatron as leader and taking his place.

With careful planning and timing, using the Autobots' attack to achieve his own ends would be a breeze…

*****

Watching from the sidelines, Kicker was following every little bit of the action with wide, excited eyes. When Alpha Q had soared in and punched through Unicron's hull with his own head, the hotheaded teenager actually whooped and clapped his hands together in exhilaration.

Standing several feet away and unconsciously rubbing Starxis' head, Misha silently watched the main screen for several minutes, her gaze fixed on the part of Unicron that was controlled by Alpha Q. When she spoke, it was in a hesitant, quiet tone, as she sought to clarify something she was unsure about. "Didn't Scorpinok say that he and Alpha Q would need Unicron, fully intact, in order to revive their planet?"

Red Alert nodded. "They would need access to as much of Unicron's mass as possible to pull it off, I suppose," he answered. "It makes sense, given that Scorpinok and the Terrorcons were forged from Unicron's own body. It's my assumption that the latter's flesh would be depleted and would need to be reconstituted after each episode; the Energon would be sufficient to do that. Given that we're trying to re-engineer a planet now… who knows how much of Unicron's mass we'll have to utilize to pull that off."

Misha thoughtfully pursed her lips, her mind in overdrive. Still, she remained silent for a minute more. "Well, what if there were a way to give our side a greater advantage? Make it so we don't have to triumph over Megatron to accomplish this?" When Red Alert and Kicker turned to look at her curiously, Misha went to the nearest console, her fingers dancing over the keys as she worked to open a channel directly to Alpha Q. It helped that Scorpinok had provided the Autobots with the means to contact their spindly friend if need be.

Upon confirming that the fact that the two halves of Unicron were connected, unconventional or not, granted Alpha Q access to every inch of the dark god's body, a broad smile lit up Misha's face. Turning to face her three companions, she said, "If we accomplish what we set out to do now, then there will be no reason for the Autobots to battle to seize control of Unicron. We can just concentrate on eliminating him then!"

Red Alert shifted his weight, slightly reeling at how advantageous this plan would be. He started to activate his comlink to speak to both the battle fleet and Optimus' teams, but almost instantly had second thoughts. Lowering his hand, he gave a sigh and said to Misha and Kicker, "We can't inform anyone of this. We can't take the chance that one of the Decepticons might be nearby to overhear the broadcast and discover what we're up to. We'd lose our advantage that way."

Misha bowed her head slightly, going on to say that it didn't matter. After a slight pause, she asked Red Alert if one of the grid towers on Earth could be reconfigured to transport a hefty amount of Energon across space. The medic nodded, instantly going to the console to see about establishing a warp tunnel connecting an area in space above Ocean City to a spot directly across from Unicron's head.

Misha let out a breath, feeling a wash of excitement over the fact that this plan was coming together and that it would work. Turning to Kicker, she said, in a surprising soft tone, "Now all we need is someone on Earth to initiate the transfer, someone stationed in Ocean City." Kicker seemed to know what she was about to say, given the way his gaze darkened, but she stated it anyway.

"You're going to have to talk to your father…"

* * *

_Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this installment; don't flame me too hard for this cliffhanger. One of the characters will be departing from the story approximately three chapters from now. check out the poll on my profile page to see if you can guess who it is._

_Next up: Shockblast's play for Megatron's throne results in Optimus being severely wounded, Alpha Q's dream is realized, and Snowcat seeks revenge against Alexis for having caused his reformatting..._


	29. Power Play

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: Sorry it took me so long to get through this one chapter, but the writing just took off once my current semester in school ended. I will hopefully have another chapter ready before the holidays are over. Hope you enjoy this installment._

_To Independent C -- This story has at least twelve more chapters to it past this one, and I do have a sequel planned set in the Cybertron universe. Stay tuned._

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Even if the emotional abuse inflicted upon Kicker by his father hadn't been a factor, the conversation was certain to be tense given that Dr. Jones was still pretty furious over his son's and Misha's recent actions. Having to ask for a huge favor, even if they did have Red Alert backing them, was causing the two teenagers some undue stress.

Their fears were soon given merit, what with the way that Dr. Jones began ranting when told by Kicker that all Energon collected on Earth needed to be given up. "You cannot be serious!" Dr. Jones shouted. "You've got a lot of nerve asking that after what you've put me and your mother through! The answer's no!"

Kicker recoiled, his face turning white as an indication of how scared and helpless he felt. It wasn't until this moment that Misha fully understood just how much of a toll the years of abuse had taken or of how afraid Kicker was of his father. She took a step closer to the boy at her side, catching his hand in hers and giving it a firm squeeze.

The subsequent look exchanged between her and Kicker gave the latter all the courage he needed.

Red Alert looked prepared to intervene, but Misha told him with a single gesture to keep quiet for the time being. Taking a step forward with a look of determination and maintaining his grip on Misha's hand, Kicker said heatedly, "What I put _you _through?! How does that compare to what you did to me?!" A slight pause, and then, "You owe me for all that time where you never gave me a choice! You don't get to say no."

Kicker barely comprehended his father's response before his anger reached unimaginable heights. Amazingly, he was able to keep his voice calm when next he spoke, in spite of all the rage boiling away inside him. "I am not a little kid anymore, nor am I being rash or immature!" Kicker said firmly. "Unlike you, who's so reluctant to hand over your precious Energon that you can't see the big picture."

Kicker paused to throw a glance at the adjacent monitor to make sure that Alpha Q or anyone on Optimus' team weren't in danger from Sideways, then took another step forward, his brown eyes blazing. "I was given my abilities for a reason, Dad, and it wasn't to satisfy your own ends! The Autobots are the ones who need it most now, for the purpose of ending a war before it goes any further. If this is what my gift was truly meant for, to help them gather enough Energon specifically for this very day, then there's no arguing with that!"

Misha took a couple steps forward as well, so she was once more standing directly beside Kicker. While it was still unknown just who or what had imbued Kicker with this ability, she couldn't argue with the possibility that this was the reason for it. _Strange, _she mused, _that this moment may have been predestined for more than a decade. After all, if I'm not mistaken, Alpha Q and Scorpinok's planet was destroyed **after** Kicker received his abilities._ Out loud, she said, "We wouldn't be asking if this wasn't of the utmost importance, Dr. Jones. But we don't have much time to waste. The sooner we implement this, the better."

At this, Red Alert chose to throw in his own two cents to help move things along and said simply, "You're the only one in Ocean City who has the expertise to reconfigure the tower and quickly. We need your help, Dr. Jones."

For a moment, Dr. Jones said nothing, then the hardened look left his face, and his shoulders slumped. He gave a deep sigh, then softly said, "Very well." He leaned forward slightly, and his next statement indicated he had activated the internal coms system of Ocean City. "Miranda, Sally, can you meet me in the communications room? I'm going to need your help with something…"

*****

Once he'd viewed Optimus' team disappear inside Unicron, Sideways' initial impulse was to tail them. A second later, he stopped in his tracks, then turned his gaze skyward as he realized that the Autobots would not have come here without some insurance, especially after the latest incident on Cybertron. They had to have brought the boy with them this time. Odds were he'd not be able to get near Optimus or Alpha Q without being detected.

As Snowcat's declaration resounded in his head, Sideways turned back to regard the soldiers around him, and it wasn't too much longer before he had an alternate plan gestating inside his head.

*****

As Scorpinok had predicted, he was able to turn a handful of the Terrorcons to the Autobot team. This proved very useful in taking down the first group of Decepticons they came across, but thereafter, it was discovered that these were the only drones they were going to get. Battling their way through the tunnels yielded a bunch more Terrorcons who'd been shot through the head and effectively decommissioned. No doubt Megatron had ordered such an act to keep Optimus and his soldiers from gaining too much ground.

Nevertheless, Alexis was quite pleased that they progressed through Unicron's massive frame with almost no hassle. That was yet another benefit of the aid provided by Alpha Q; the Decepticons had been caught unawares enough that they'd been unable to get ahead of her and her friends.

It wasn't until they were nearing the massive chamber that made up Unicron's stomach cavity that a message came to them from Kicker. "Stay alert, Optimus," the teenager stated through the Autobot commander's com-link. "You're getting close to Sideways."

Optimus stopped in his tracks, as did everyone with him, keeping his voice down when he responded. "How close?"

Kicker took several seconds to answer; more than likely, he was checking their location against Sideways' position. "He's about two thousand feet above you and holding. If I'm right, that puts him either at the very top of Unicron's stomach or the chamber above it. I'll let you know immediately if he gets any closer."

Alexis took a few seconds to process this, then exchanged a worried look with Optimus. "I don't get it," she said softly, a tinge of fear overtaking her. "Why would he be staying still?"

Scorpinok hesitated, leaning forward slightly to peer into the next chamber before withdrawing. "I don't know, but we may have another problem…" Off of the quizzical looks his companions were giving him, he said, "If Unicron were still in his planet mode, I'd have no problem guiding you all to his spark chamber from here. But, with Megatron having transformed him… We either need to find another route, or the group will have to split up. Those of us who can fly have the only chance of quickly making it to the tunnel that will lead us there, and we'd only be hindered in transporting those who can't." A pause, and then, "Helping our ground-based companions towards this end could leave us all open to an attack."

Optimus remained silent for a beat, clearly thinking this through, before saying, "I can't say I like the idea of splitting up… That means that Kicker would have to watch out for two separate teams. There'd be more of a risk that he'd slip up."

Rodimus tilted his head downwards a notch. "Maybe so, but that is a risk we'd have to take," he said gruffly. "The point of this is to take down Megatron as quickly as we can. We don't have time to debate the issue at hand." He turned to look at Scorpinok. "You'd have to point the rest of us in the right direction once we enter the chamber. We'll climb to the nearest tunnel if we have to."

Optimus gave a resigned nod, but added one condition. "Ironhide, you're with us. One of the fliers will be able to ferry you without incident."

When she entered the enormous cavern, Alexis kept her gaze fixed on the space above her, her senses on high alert in case of an attack. Kicker may be able to sense Sideways, but any one of the other Decepticons could be lying in wait, hidden within the gloom. Though nothing happened, she still remained very much on edge and only glanced downwards for brief intervals so she'd be able to follow her silent teammates across the cave.

If anything, the fact that they moved in stealth did nothing to settle her nerves; the quietness was only adding to the tension. Nevertheless, it wasn't long before they reached the far end of the chamber, and she looked to Scorpinok when he silently gestured towards the third tunnel about 250 feet above them, which was unfortunately just out of range of any grappling hook guns they might have on hand. Any higher, and they likely wouldn't have been able to see it through the shadows.

Alexis let out a breath, exchanging a look with Starscream that showed her fellow jet just how nervous she was. He offered her a reassuring smile as though to say that everything would be fine, inspiring her to swallow her fear.

Optimus sent a whispered transmission out to Kicker to verify that Sideways hadn't moved, causing Alexis to once more wonder what the rogue bot was waiting for. But she quickly set it aside when she saw both Optimus and Starscream take to the air, and she unconsciously made a move towards Ironhide.

The sound of a powerful weapon being fired had barely reached her before Alexis caught sight of two laser beams lancing through the darkness, each with a different trajectory. Her scream caught in her throat, but she found a second later that it needn't have mattered. Starscream's reflexes were such that he was able to see the blast coming in an instant and take measures to sidestep it.

Optimus wasn't so lucky.

Though the Autobot commander was able to dodge the beam to ensure it wouldn't hit him dead on, it still cut through his shoulder joint and glanced by his right leg. With a yell of pain, Optimus dropped from the air, at the same time that a third laser beam appeared directly above him.

All this happened so fast that Optimus didn't have time to avoid the second volley, nor did any of his comrades have time to help him, and this shot punched through his leg, eliciting another agonized yell from him.

Jetfire, Starscream, Demolisher, and Bluestreak didn't hesitate before returning fire, though it was impossible to see who had attacked them and target accordingly. In the same instant, Alexis, Rodimus, and Ironhide were moving to Optimus' side. The femme jet had to bite back her fear when she saw that the commander's right arm had been almost completely severed, and his left kneecap had taken a serious hit as well_. _She didn't have to be a medic to recognize that the latter injury meant that Optimus wouldn't be up for walking any time soon.

Ironhide was quick to name the instigator; there was only one Decepticon who could inflict this much damage with a single shot. "Shockblast."

For an instant, Alexis was at a loss over what to do, as she met Optimus' optics with her own, though it did reassure her when he said that the injuries weren't life-threatening. They couldn't all stay put for very long, but leaving the Autobot commander hurt and vulnerable wasn't an option either.

Before Alexis could say a word, she was surprised to see Elita swiftly approach the fallen commander, kneeling next to Optimus and quickly surveying the damage. A millisecond later, Elita was removing some clamps and a soldering iron from a compartment at her side, muttering something about Optimus making a foolish attempt to downplay the severity of the wounds.

Alexis blinked, caught off guard by the fact that Elita possessed some medical skills and was dedicated enough not to let anything deter her. But, given the speed with which the latter had acted in sealing the broken fuel lines, this was surely the case. Quite surprising, considering that Elita, Chromia, and Rodimus had come to rely on a CR tank to heal themselves with little effort.

For an instant, Optimus seemed just as bewildered. But then, Alexis imagined he was not used to having someone come to his aid so quickly and efficiently. The spell was broken when Elita looked towards Rodimus and said with a sigh, "I've done what I can… He should be fine until we can get him back to Red Alert."

Optimus let out a deep breath, but took a few seconds to find his voice and regain his sense of authority. By this point, the four Transformers who'd been firing upwards had ceased shooting as there'd been no more sign of an attack. For all they knew, Shockblast had vacated the area. "You all need to continue on towards Megatron."

Ironhide appeared to be the most hesitant when he said, "We can't just leave you here."

Optimus gave an exasperated groan. "You have to. We don't have time to waste, even less so now than before. Someone will have heard the commotion just now." He looked around the immediate area, spotting an alcove nearby where he'd be able to conceal himself.

Alexis tilted her head upward a notch, activating her comlink in a slight panic. "Kicker, where's Sideways now?"

"He's moving away from you, heading upwards," Kicker answered, putting her greatly at ease. A short pause, and then, "Okay, he's stopped again. Some distance above his previous location. I'm not sure exactly where that places him inside Unicron, but I'll keep you posted."

Optimus was about to direct his team members to help him over to the alcove and trust that he could take care of himself when Elita spoke. "I'll stay," she said firmly. When this drew a protest from the Autobot commander, a soft growl escaped her lips and she pointedly responded, "Don't be such a stubborn mech! I am not one of your loyal troops who will respond to any and all orders you dish out!" In answer to the surprised look in his golden optics, she added, "Unless you can shoot left-handed, it wouldn't hurt to have someone nearby as backup."

Alexis blinked, looking from Elita to Optimus and back again. Given his look, it was clear he was bewildered at being challenged in such a way, but there was no arguing with the logic in the other femme's words. Optimus gave a consenting nod, and it wasn't long before he and Elita were safely sequestered/hidden within the adjacent compartment.

Seconds later, the remaining fliers and the groundlings were making their way up to two separate tunnels, with the Terrorcons accompanying the former group…

*****

Activating Unicron's internal sensors was really no challenge, but actually locating the infiltrating group of Autobots was a different story, as none of the troops he'd reached over the coms seemed to know just where they were. Megatron had even thought he'd accomplished it at one point until he'd seen (via the freestanding view screen) that he was only seeing three enemy bots, all unknown to him. Nevertheless, he did activate a few of Unicron's defenses to keep them busy; his view of the ensuing firefight allowed Megatron to identify them as Rodimus, Bluestreak, and (surprisingly) Demolisher when they shouted out to each other by name.

Suspecting that this small group of groundlings was no threat, Megatron closed down the view screen, though he did broadcast orders to a handful of his own troops to head them off.

When he finally did locate Starscream and the others, Megatron was struck speechless for a moment. He'd not expected that they would have brought the girl with them, after everything that had recently transpired. _But,_ he thought with an amused tinge, _it seems as though the fools believe they'll be able to adequately protect her here._

Though slightly curious at the fact that there was no sign of Optimus, Megatron elected not to waste his energy in trying to pinpoint the location of the Autobot commander. Even if Optimus was lucky enough to make it to Unicron's spark chamber, he'd have a surprise or two in store for him.

Megatron studied the view screen for a moment more, silently musing that there'd be some benefits to getting the femme he'd named Storm Bringer back in his ranks. Among other things, she'd prove to be his best defense against those he called enemies. With this in mind, Megatron began to hatch a plan to recapture her…

*****

Aboard Rodimus' shuttle, Kicker was dividing his attention between keeping an eye on Sideways and watching two nearby monitors showing that his family was hard at work in initiating the transfer. Near as he could determine, his little sister was negotiating with the Omnicons at each colony to ship all the collected Energon to Ocean City, while his parents, with some assistance from Red Alert, were working at reconfiguring the grid tower.

Shifting his attention back to Sideways, Kicker tried unsuccessfully to quell the edginess trying to overtake him. Sensing his mood from the look on his face, Misha gave his hand a squeeze and offered a warm smile when he turned to look at her. "It'll be okay," she murmured. "Just relax. We're making progress."

Kicker let out a sigh, intending to do just that, when he felt something… odd. He didn't have the words to describe the sensation, but the way he turned to look towards Unicron on the main monitor in a panic told Misha that something was up. With a hint of worry, she tilted her head slightly to the side, giving voice to a single name. "Sideways." When Kicker didn't answer right away, she asked, "He's on the move, isn't he?"

Kicker grew pale, then said in a near whisper, his tone terrified, "I can't sense him anymore."

Misha blinked, uncomprehending for an instant, then replied, "What are you talking about?"

Kicker threw a quick glance at Red Alert, then focused wholeheartedly on her. "I mean I can't!" A long pause, and then, "He must have known I was here somewhere… He must have used Unicron to get rid of the Energon coursing through him, so I'd be unable to track him!"

Misha paled as well after a couple seconds, turning frightened brown eyes towards Red Alert to see that the medic looked equally as scared. At least they could take some consolation that the ship they were on was cloaked and that Sideways, unless he was extremely lucky, would not be able to find them.

An instant later, she snatched away Kicker's handheld comlink device, activating it and broadcasting a tense message to the Autobots stationed inside the dark god…

*****

When the whispered warning from Misha came in, Alexis was shortly feeling even more fearful, though she wasn't sure if that fear was more directed towards Optimus' well-being or her own. Either way, it was laid to rest when Scorpinok noted that Sideways would likely not be able to disguise the heat signatures he'd be putting off. Shortly thereafter, Scorpinok ordered the Terrorcons to alter their vision to be able to detect thermal images and keep a close watch for anything out of the ordinary.

Yet, even as she was willing herself to relax, Alexis was given even more cause for concern when the walls around Jetfire, Scorpinok, Ironhide, Starscream, and herself suddenly came alive, sprouting a mass of organic tentacles which shortly began reaching for her and her comrades. She had seen this defense of Unicron's before, but she'd not expected that it would be something that Megatron would remember or learn how to utilize so quickly.

With a short yelp, Alexis leaped backwards to avoid the tentacles reaching towards her, even as she registered that her companions were already taking measures to deal with this obstacle. After a second or two, she began grasping for her personalized weapon, mentally reminding herself to stay calm.

Before she could fully reach around, however, Alexis was caught off guard when some more tentacles (which she hadn't seen descending from the ceiling) swiftly wrapped themselves around her arms, effectively holding her still and helpless in an instant. Briefly, she turned her gaze upwards, her fear reaching new heights when she saw a hole forming in the ceiling above her. Unless something was done quickly, she'd surely be snatched away before anyone even realized she was in trouble.

Desperately, Alexis called out for the comrade nearest her, voice filled with terror and anxiety, and praying that his reaction time would be fast enough to save her. Realistically, she knew that there were security measures in place to prevent Megatron from brainwashing her again, but the prospect of it still terrified her.

"Ironhide!"

It was fortunate that her partner had drawn his sword to deal with the tentacles, though he did suffer a split second of surprise when he looked her way. In the next instant, Ironhide surged towards her even as she was lifted off the ground by a small fraction, quickly assessing that he wouldn't have time to cut her loose. Swiftly, he wrapped one arm firmly around her with his hand curled around her left shoulder, simultaneously planting his sword in the wall with the hope (if his expression was any indication) of keeping them both grounded for a few tenuous seconds.

Without tearing his gaze from hers, Ironhide yelled out for Starscream. At this, Alexis tilted her head briefly to look towards her fellow jet, standing at the opposite end of the tunnel, at the same time that he was turning to regard her and Ironhide. Much as she feared, Starscream still had his hands full with Unicron's defenses; there was no guarantee he'd be able to reach her in time. Gazing back down at her partner, she murmured in a terrified tone, "Don't let go of me."

Ironhide grunted as the two of them lurched upwards an inch or two, and he threw a glance at the wall to see that his sword had slid slightly loose of its niche. The blade, it seemed, was just sharp enough to cut through the wall at an angle; it wouldn't take much for him and Sky Dancer to lose their anchor.

Even as Ironhide thought this, he could both feel and see the tentacles around her arms grow taut, exerting even more pressure. After a brief moment, he completely dimmed his optics, wondering just how good his odds would be in besting Megatron face to face. Feeling his own feet fully leave the ground, Ironhide speculated that the Decepticon leader might not even show him any mercy, and the only thing he'd have to look forward to would be a fatal shot to his spark chamber.

Still, he wasn't about to abandon Sky Dancer either way.

Ironhide had so completely surrendered himself to whatever his fate might be that it shocked him immensely when he and his partner were suddenly released. Before he could fully realize it, he was flat on his back on the floor of the tunnel, with Sky Dancer sprawled awkwardly over him. Ironhide lit his optics back up, exchanging a bewildered look with her.

Alexis wanted to weep with relief, though she didn't fully understand just what had happened or why she'd been set free. Before she could work this out, she became aware that Starscream was suddenly in front of her, extending a hand to help her to her feet. Until that second, she hadn't seen that the organic tentacles flooding the corridor were inexplicably gone. Once standing up straight, she was in her beloved's embrace, head inclined against his shoulder.

Ironhide broke the silence by asking, "What the slag?! Why would Megatron just give up?"

Scorpinok drew their attention by stepping forward, wearing a wry smile. "Because he didn't." A slight pause, then, "He's not the only one capable of controlling Unicron. Alpha Q beat him at his own game."

Alexis angled her head to gaze at Scorpinok, a look of appreciation present in her optics. Scorpinok responded to the questioning look that soon appeared in the blue depths by saying that it wasn't something that would give them a great edge. "Whatever Alpha Q can do, Megatron can counter, and vice versa. At best, Megatron now knows that he can't use Unicron to assault us without having it overridden within moments," Scorpinok stated.

Alexis let out a sigh, grateful nonetheless for the save. Softly, she said, warming when her words caused Starscream to tighten his grip on her ever so slightly, "Thank you."

Scorpinok gave a small nod of acknowledgment, then abruptly tilted his head to the side, the smile vanishing from his face. A couple seconds later, Scorpinok said, even as he turned to face the far end of the tunnel, "Don't get comfortable yet! Alpha Q says there's about a dozen Decepticons headed our way right now." He began moving to one side of the corridor, barking out a warning for his companions to seek cover from the line of fire soon to come…

*****

If there was any one thing that Optimus was unaccustomed to, especially in the midst of a battlefield, it would be moments of complete and utter silence. He partially understood the reasoning behind it as fear of being overheard and attacked, but he hadn't heard anyone come or go from this chamber since his team had departed. And, it was doubtful that Sideways was near, as the distinctive hum given off by him that Optimus had heard during the previous assaults wasn't present either.

Giving a soft sigh and deciding that the silence was getting to him, Optimus glanced over at the femme seated next to him, noting that she looked as tense as could be with the way she was gripping the laser rifle in her hands. Conversation, it seemed, might benefit them both; it would also serve to get his mind off the residual aches and pains he was experiencing.

Optimus said softly, causing Elita to look his way with a start, "I wouldn't have expected you to possess some medical skills…?"

Elita caught the questioning note in his voice with no trouble, and she tilted her head downwards a notch. Returning her gaze towards the outer chamber, she said quietly, "I deemed it necessary some time ago, CR tank or not. Chromia thinks I'm foolish for it, but I'd rather be prepared than be sorry." There was a short pause before she glanced back at Optimus, perhaps thinking that more of an explanation was in order.

"There was one day -- more than 2,000 earth years ago -- where my father, Chromia, and I were delivering an Energon shipment to a remote outpost, manned by a small group of neutrals. Should have been simple; all we wanted in exchange was a component to better defend our ship." Elita paused for a beat, then continued, "Problem was, the interested party got greedy. When they upped the price, Father started arguing with them. Said he wouldn't pay more than what was initially agreed upon."

When she hesitated, Optimus raised his optics to study her face before prodding, "I'm guessing it ended badly."

Elita nodded. "The short version is that Chromia was badly shot. She's extremely lucky that she wasn't instantly off-lined. In the time it took for Father and I to incapacitate the others and get her back to the ship… I thought for sure we were going to lose her." Another pause, and then, "I never wanted to go through that again."

A short silence ensued, broken when Elita abruptly looked over, her gaze sweeping over his shattered knee before moving on to his face. "So, as far as injuries go, how does this one rate? Worst you've had or not?"

Optimus was quiet for a moment, slightly surprised by the question. But then, he reminded himself that he and Elita had only just met. She wasn't someone who had been there in the many centuries of the war, and it was doubtful that Rodimus would have shared many stories of the "good" old days.

Oddly enough, it was refreshing to have someone to tell tales to and for the first time at that. Whatever Alexis knew of Transformer history, very little of it had been told to her personally by Optimus. Letting out a breath, he replied, "No, it's not." He hesitated, unsure if she'd want the grisly details until she prodded him for it. "I once had a bomb literally go off in my face. Was sentenced to the infirmary for a full month, in great pain for most of it, while the damage was repaired." A pause, and then, "I'll always be grateful to Red Alert for the large part he played in the reconstructive surgery."

Elita winced at the thought of it. "Ouch," she commented lightly, causing him to chuckle. After a short silence, she opened her mouth to say more, but was cut off when the sound of something crashing down, just yards away from their position, caught her attention. With a cry, Elita started to raise her gun, inwardly cursing herself for getting so distracted so as to not notice that one of the Decepticons had been creeping up on them.

Their assailant -- a silver and red flier -- was faster, getting off two shots in quick succession. Elita was returning fire before he could get any further, her initial thought being that the shots had gone wide. In spite of her panic, she scored a few lucky hits and registered that Optimus was responding likewise. In no time at all, their attacker fell, though Elita couldn't determine if he was dead or just unconscious.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to look at Optimus after a moment, only to panic anew when she took in the sight of fluid leaking out of a hole in his chest. "Primus, no!" she cried, moving instantly to his side and pressing one hand over the wound in an attempt to stop or slow the bleeding. Though on some level she knew that there was a chance they were still in great danger, she was beyond caring to keep an eye out.

Fixing her gaze on Optimus' face, Elita lightly gnawed at her lip when she saw his optics had grown dim, suggesting he was either about to lose consciousness or that this injury was more life-threatening. She couldn't be sure how close the shot had come to his spark chamber.

Frantically, Elita put one hand to his face, shaking him gently in the hopes of rousing him. "Optimus," she said in a slightly raised tone. "Come on! Stay with me!" After a second or two, she bowed her head, wildly thinking, _Stupid! The Autobots are never going to forgive you if their leader dies, Elita!_

Elita didn't register it right away, but within moments, she became aware that the ground beneath her was shaking, and she turned her bewildered blue optics upward when a strange noise reached her. Much to her shock, she saw that the whole chamber around her looked to be crumbling, little by little.

_Oh, Primus, what now? _Elita thought, fearing the absolute worst…

*****

When he saw that his little scheme had failed and heard Scorpinok speak of the reason for it, Megatron couldn't have been more livid. So it was quite a good thing that he was given a worthy distraction within moments.

His first presumption, when the wall nearest his throne was blown apart and before the dust cleared, was that it could only be Optimus. So it definitely came as a surprise when he saw an increasingly troublesome, cyclopean mech enter the chamber with a fully charged weapon pointed directly at Megatron.

If Shockblast hoped to hear Megatron cower and\or plead for his life, he was sorely disappointed. That had to be the only reason why the former was holding his fire. Megatron adopted a wry smile, gaining a new comprehension of Shockblast's level of intelligence. "So, you've gone from being at odds with a single soldier to having a grudge against me as well, have you?" Megatron said in a calm, lightly amused tone.

Shockblast shifted his weight, still holding his cannon at the ready. "Is it that surprising?" he replied in a scathing tone. A pause, and then, "I used to hear so many rumors about what kind of leader you were -- ruthless, smart, charismatic… It's just too bad that meeting you in person dispelled all the hype."

Megatron quickly deduced just what Shockblast must be referring to. "You really are quite the fool," the Decepticon commander stated in a conversational tone. "Or are you just steamed that I didn't take your side in this little squabble?" Megatron gave a short chuckle, his wry smile growing slightly larger. "Respect and trust have to be earned, Shockblast. Mirage has been in my company long enough to gain both. You haven't… And I'd say you're proving you'll be too much of a liability to keep around."

This time, it was Shockblast's turn to laugh, the chuckles presenting themselves in an ironic and greatly humored manner. "You're remarkably calm for someone who's facing elimination," he commented, shifting slightly. He stood poised to say more when something sharp was jabbed into the back of his neck, startling him. A second later, Shockblast caught the sound of the last voice he wanted to hear emanating from behind him.

"And you're remarkably stupid to think that Megatron wouldn't want some extra defense in place with the Autobots lurking about," Sideways stated in a gruff, unamused tone. "That, and I seem to recall telling you that you would be watched, whether you were aware of it or not... How much do you want to bet that I can run you through before you get off a shot?"

Megatron watched Shockblast slowly lower his weapon, chuckling at Sideways' words. For Shockblast's benefit, he said, "Either Optimus or Starscream would have been in for a nasty surprise if they'd made their way in here. Or any other Autobot, for that matter." Megatron paused for a second, all the humor departing from his face. "But now it seems I must decide what your fate will be, Shockblast."

Smiling wryly beneath his faceplate, Sideways said, "Personally, I'd cast my vote for termination. It's obvious that in the long run, our friend here will prove to be more trouble than he's worth." A pause, and then, "I told you that I saw him open fire on the Autobots who'd made their way inside Unicron. My guess is that he was trying to delay them in order to stage this little coup."

Megatron considered this, briefly wondering what side that Snowcat and Thundercracker might fall on before electing to just go with the majority rule and be done with it. He knew what Mirage might say on the issue if present. "Very well, Sideways," he answered. "But make it quick. We don't want to be held up for very long."

Sideways' glee showed in his optics as he pulled back, grasping his sword in both hands in preparation to deliver a killing blow and chuckling as he listened to Shockblast offer up a futile plea for his life.

Problem was, Sideways never got a chance to take the swing…

*****

The reformatting of the grid towers was finished less than twenty minutes after Kicker's proclamation that he could no longer detect Sideways, much to the delight of the two teenagers. Neither Kicker nor Misha had anticipated that it would be implemented so quickly. Plus, Sally had done a good job with her negotiating; all the collected Energon was currently being deposited into a reservoir within the base of the tower.

As Kicker understood, the Energon would be modified into a laser beam for transport, which should be initiated within moments. Even now, he was listening to Misha transmit a message to Alpha Q to get ready to receive it. "I hope it proves to be enough to bring your planet back," Misha went on to say, before terminating the broadcast and turning to look at Kicker.

She looked so anxious that he was inspired to take her hand in his and give it a firm squeeze, simultaneously offering a reassuring smile even though he too was quite nervous. A second later, both teenagers shifted to look at Red Alert when the medic told Dr. Jones to initiate the transfer in exactly ninety seconds.

After half a minute had passed, Red Alert let out a deep breath and activated the coms to broadcast a message to the fleet engaged in combat on Unicron's exterior. There was a risk that a Decepticon might overhear, but Red Alert had no desire to risk the lives of anyone on his side. And, odds were that the assumption would be that Alpha Q was going to try something to aid in the battle. "If there's anyone in the vicinity of Unicron's head, I need you to steer clear right now! You have less than sixty seconds to get to safety."

Once the message had been sent out, Red Alert gave a sigh and set the main monitor to display an expanded view of the battlefield, idly stating, "Now all we have to do is watch the show."

In tandem, Kicker and Misha turned to look at the screen, their anticipation growing by the second. When they got their first view of a large, bright red beam that appeared through their end of the warp tunnel, Misha let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. At the realization that they'd truly done it, tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes.

Approximately five seconds after the beam began to pour into Unicron's head, Alpha Q's half of the dark god became glowing, every inch of the surface enveloped by a pure red light. As they watched, it grew brighter and brighter, until it almost hurt to look directly at it.

In almost the same instant, Unicron's entire framework began moving at a fractional pace (according to Red Alert), as though the force of the incoming energy beam was too much for it to hold its position. About eight seconds in, the entirety of Unicron's body was visibly shaking, and small fragments of it were crumbling. Not long after that, the com system before them was being flooded with agitated statements from various Autobots who wanted to know what the slag was going on.

When she heard Kicker suddenly gasp, Misha turned her head to look at him, a tiny hint of alarm in her eyes. "What is it?" she said in a sharper tone than she meant to, causing him to look back at her with a start.

"The Energon we just put in Unicron's head… It's starting to reach every Transformer in the immediate vicinity. They're all being infused with a small fraction of that energy!" There was a short silence, in which Misha tried to think if she'd ever seen him look this bewildered and thrilled. "I can sense every single one of them!"

Hearing this, Misha was turning towards a smaller monitor near her, pulling up a rough schematic of Unicron's body and encouraging Kicker to pinpoint just where he was detecting everyone. But, as she found out, this endeavor was easier said than done, as the positions started abruptly changing just seconds after Kicker had begun.

Slightly confused, the two teenagers turned to look at the main screen, and they shortly got their answer. The fragments of Unicron that they had seen crumbling had developed into almost mile-wide craters, as though the body of the dark god was completely destabilizing. Odds were that Alpha Q was using the Energon to recreate his planet and the feat was taking more of a toll than they had realized it would. Lord only knew what was happening to Unicron's interior, but the sudden shifts in locales indicated it was being equally destabilized before any of those stationed inside could comprehend it.

Pale-faced, Kicker forced himself to focus on the few he was sensing who hadn't budged and continued at his task, all the while praying that those he called friends were safe…

*****

When it became apparent to Elita that the chamber is which she and Optimus resided was deteriorating at an alarming rate, she turned away from the Autobot commander in a fright so she was facing outwards into the cavernous room. When she saw craters begin to appear in the floor, she cast an anxious glance at the half-conscious mech at her side, wondering if it was safe to move him.

When a section of the floor near her and Optimus abruptly collapsed, Elita frantically reached for her companion. Her hands had barely touched his shoulders when she saw a beam of pure red light flood into the chamber.

Elita hesitated for a moment, unsure of what she was seeing, until similar beams appeared through some of the other craters. After a few seconds, she began to realize what this was, as her circuit boards and wiring surged with a new wave of energy. Her lips parted slightly in shock; she was not used to feeling this outside of a CR tank.

Elita cast another anxious glance towards the floor (simultaneously noting that their assailant had vanished through one of the craters), then focused on Optimus when she felt him shift beneath her hands. Reminded of the energy coursing through her, Elita turned her gaze towards the wound in his chest, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that at least he was no longer losing fluid.

It wasn't too much longer before she realized that the scorched edges of this injury were diminishing before her optics. Awestruck, Elita turned her gaze towards his knee and then his shoulder, to find that they too were inexplicably being healed. If she had to hazard a guess, she would say that a makeshift restoration chamber had been somehow created, all around them. Odds were that Optimus would be sufficiently healed within moments.

If that were the case, she could be thankful that the red and silver mech that had assaulted them was no longer in sight. In addition, whatever had been causing the chamber to fall apart seemed to have halted.

It took only seconds for Optimus' optics to light all the way back up, though he initially looked quite disoriented. Once he recovered his senses, he began to gaze around with a look of wonder before asking, "What's happening?"

Elita let out a deep breath, answering simply, "Something miraculous…"

*****

In the millisecond that Sideways started to take the swing, he was caught off guard when the floor beneath him was suddenly uprooted. The shift was so quick and unexpected that it caused him to fall backwards, so he landed awkwardly on the now ploughed-up ground.

Megatron had barely adjusted to the quakes now rumbling through Unicron's spark chamber before he saw Shockblast suddenly vanish from sight, through a newly- formed hole in the floor. Gritting his teeth, Megatron rose from his throne, advancing quickly towards the edge of the opening, peering down and shifting one of his cannons in position to fire.

However, the Decepticon commander soon found that getting a clear shot at the conniving mech was impossible, as Shockblast was still falling, though it was undetermined if the latter was still disoriented or was using this development as an excuse to get to safety. Simultaneously, Megatron was able to see that all of Unicron's body was being affected by whatever was happening; the deterioration of the dark god's flesh was hitting multiple levels, it seemed.

Megatron turned his gaze towards Sideways, intending to tell his companion to get after Shockblast. What cut him off was that it seemed that Sideways had likewise disappeared through a separate fissure, and, given the way Unicron's body was structured, there was no guarantee that the rogue bot had landed in the same area that Shockblast was occupying.

Looking around with a mounting anger as the room around him continued to crumble, Megatron inevitably came to two conclusions.

1) Impossible or not, this could only be the work of the Autobots.

And 2) there was a possibility that, whatever the meaning of this, the enemy hoped to gain a tactical advantage from it.

With a growl sounding from between his lips, Megatron stated, to no one in particular, "This game is far from over…"

*****

The one consolation that Starscream and his team had, when the world around them was falling apart, was that the Decepticons across the way were having the exact same problem. Putting one hand against the wall to keep his balance, Starscream turned slightly to regard his companions. No sooner had he done so, however, before the patch of ground beneath him gave way, and he was plummeting through before he could catch his wits.

Feeling a needless wave of panic, Alexis took a step forward. But Jetfire was quicker, reaching the edge of the crater a second after Starscream had fallen. Even as Jetfire was kneeling, reaching down into the opening with one hand, he looked her way temporarily and said, "It's okay. He landed in an antechamber directly below the hallway."

Alexis breathed a sigh of relief and watched for a second as Jetfire proceeded to help Starscream out of what she guessed was a rather cramped cavity. Shifting her weight, she looked towards Scorpinok and then Ironhide. Aware that Unicron's framework was still shaking and that she could hear sounds of it crumbling, she took a step towards her partner, her intention being to stay close to him in case the hallway destabilized further.

The ground was uprooted before she could reach Ironhide, pushing her back a few inches. What enabled her to quickly regain her senses and get moving again was that she could hear him yell out, and she knew even without looking that the floor beneath him had likely given way as well.

Alexis barely hesitated before briskly moving forward and, upon assessing that Ironhide had unfortunately fallen into a wide, deep open space, leaped through the new opening. Just as swiftly, she twisted in mid air, her optics focusing on her partner's descending form, and dove after Ironhide, calling his name to catch his attention and stretching out her left arm.

It took only seconds for their fingers to brush one another and even less time before their hands were interlocked. With a smile, Alexis ignited her reverse thrusters, bringing them both to a halt in mid-air. "Gotcha," she said, intending to follow it up by righting herself and getting back to the chamber they'd just vacated.

However, her partner's optics grew wide and he threw a quick glance off to the right before focusing back on her in a panic. "Sky Dancer, look out!" Ironhide frantically warned, causing her to turn her head a fraction.

Later on, Alexis would determine that nothing could have stopped what was about to occur. A second after she'd processed his warning, something slammed into the right side of her head with enough force that she would swear it tore one of the fuel lines at her neck.

Alexis let out a small gasp, her vision almost instantly going blurry, but she did catch sight of a gray and magenta form she would later identify as Snowcat. Though Ironhide would swear to it later, she didn't even feel the second hit. As she subsequently swam in and out of consciousness, she was vaguely aware that she and Ironhide were falling, though she was certain of seeing Scorpinok's face hovering over her, haloed by a oddly soothing red light, just before the darkness fully claimed her…

_Next up: Alpha Q's victory is cut short by Megatron's refusal to lose, and the seeds are planted for someone's departure from the story._

_If you haven't already, check out the poll on my profile page to guess who._


	30. Recipe For Disaster

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: This chapter is tentatively rated M, for one violent fight sequence. Read at your own discretion._

Chapter Twenty-Nine

When he was convinced that the quakes had stopped, Sideways had risen to his feet in the corridor in which he had landed, trying to make sense of the red light that was penetrating both ends of the broken hallway. This didn't last long before he heard Megatron's voice sounding over his comlink, demanding that he locate Shockblast and eliminate the traitor right away.

Though his optics narrowed at the fact that he was being ordered around like some wretched lackey, Sideways nevertheless gave an acknowledgment. Odds were that Megatron had slipped in the heat of the moment, but he could always be reminded later what the terms of their agreement had been.

With a light sigh, Sideways glanced upwards to gain some bearing of which direction he'd seen Shockblast fall before turning to the north wall. Instinctively, he strode swiftly towards it, focusing on shifting to his intangible state.

Thus, it came as an incredible shock when Sideways found himself unable to pass through the half metal, half organic barrier and subsequently wound up with the mother of all processor aches. Backing up a step, he rubbed at his now-sore forehead, angrily muttering, "What the slag!"

After a few seconds, Sideways had recovered enough to drop his hand to his side and went to staring at the wall like it had become an enemy to be destroyed. Once more, he focused on becoming intangible, though he approached the barrier much more cautiously. This time, when he found himself incapable of phasing through it, Sideways stared, uncomprehending, until he became aware of the influx of energy surging through his systems.

Cocking his head to the left, Sideways eyed the red light streaming into the corridor with blazing optics. _Oh, slag!_ he thought furiously. _What a great time to become fully solid again!_

* * *

Past his assault on the femme jet, Snowcat had retreated to an empty corridor for a short time to fume that the attack hadn't been to his satisfaction. He would have loved to keep at her, perhaps even damage her to the extent that she would need to be entirely restructured as well, but he had been chased off by Scorpinok of all bots.

Snowcat wasn't given long to brood over the issue, as a soft moan from further down the tunnel caught his attention. He instantly grew tense and started to draw his weapon, but stopped when he saw the rookie, Thundercracker, sitting up, rubbing at his head with another groan. After a second or two of incomprehension, Snowcat figured that the blue and gray jet must have fallen into this corridor, perhaps even been knocked out temporarily, as a result of the quakes.

Thundercracker's one statement substantiated this belief. "Oh, what hit me?"

After a short hesitation, Snowcat moved towards the other mech, stopping when he was only inches away and extending one hand to help Thundercracker up. "Probably the same thing that hit all of us," he answered, forcing his companion to focus on him.

Once on his feet, Thundercracker almost instantly grew tense, looking up and down the corridor with an air of nervousness. "How did I get in here? The last thing I remember was taking on a couple of shuttles outside."

Snowcat, for a second, was unsure how to answer that. He looked upwards, but couldn't see any clear route in Unicron's devastated interior that would have deposited Thundercracker here. In the next instant, he shrugged it off as a fluke; weirder things had happened, in particular to him.

When Thundercracker saw that he wouldn't be getting any clear-cut answer, he shifted his weight and asked, "So what are you doing here? Are there any Autobots nearby that need to be slagged?"

Snowcat remained silent for a beat, taken off guard by the rookie's enthusiasm. In the next second, Snowcat brightened slightly, struck by the memory of himself at that age and how the anticipation of battle had always gotten his juices flowing. Recent events had dulled some of the pleasure he took at engaging in a fight, and there was something liberating in seeing someone with the same outlook.

Shifting his weight and placing one hand on Thundercracker's shoulder in a jovial manner, Snowcat resisted the urge to laugh at the rookie's confused glance at said hand and stated, "Stick with me, kid. I think we're going to get along perfectly..."

* * *

Once it became apparent to Kicker, Misha, and Red Alert that Unicron's deterioration had ceased, they set about establishing communication with the even-more-splintered groups within the dark god. Once verifying the positions of each and every Autobot, Misha had turned to the rough schematic of Unicron, setting the dots indicating them to red to gain a better visual. It relieved her to know that those who remained (the Decepticons) were likewise fractured; there were no more than five gathered together in any one spot for the time being.

Misha returned her gaze to the main screen, wondering (not for the first time) just why no planet was visible if their scheme had indeed worked. With this in mind, she opened a channel to Alpha Q, throwing a glance at Kicker to see that he looked just as puzzled.

Under her inquiries, the spindly bot answered, "It has worked much better than I could have hoped. I am able to bring back not only my own world but fifteen others as well."

Misha brightened slightly. "That's great!"

Kicker laced his fingers together behind his head, looking skeptical. "Yeah, so where are they?"

"Do not be so impatient, human," Alpha Q answered. "These planets had been converted into energy when Unicron had consumed them, and they are being reengineered as such for now. In time, I will be able to use the Energon you've given me to restore them to a more solid state, but for now, they have the appearance of what you would call orbs of light."

Misha lowered her head a notch, her gaze going to Starxis as she resumed petting the youngling's head. She'd had a suspicion that this might be the case, but she hadn't known for certain until now. She was quick to share this with Kicker, her brown eyes swimming with joy as she gazed at the boy next to her. In a quiet, deeply elated tone that conveyed everything she was feeling, she said, "We did it! Once Megatron is removed from the equation, it will be all over."

At this same time, Red Alert was relaying to the fleet and to the invading team just what had happened, throwing a quick glance at Misha's schematic to get a better sense of where everyone in the latter group was. Clearing his throat, he addressed everyone on Optimus' team with, "You should all make your way back out as soon as possible. As soon as you're all clear, we can begin with an all-out assault against Unicron."

Surprisingly, the first one to respond was Scorpinok, supposedly making it so all concerned parties could hear him. "And give Megatron an opportunity to come up with a clever way to turn it around?" Scorpinok stated ironically. "Better to take him down first." A pause, and then, "Starscream, you and Jetfire should be closest at this point."

Rodimus was providing an answer before anyone else could get a word in edgewise. "That may be so, but it appears that Unicron's restructuring has opened up a more direct path from where Demolisher, Bluestreak, and I are standing. I believe we'd be able to get there quicker."

Red Alert threw another glance at Misha's schematic to get a better idea on everyone's locales. "Acknowledged. Good luck at taking down Megatron, whoever makes it there first."

At that, Red Alert switched the frequency to transmit to Ironhide. He had already established that Optimus (bringing the Autobot commander to the forefront of his processor caused Red Alert to wonder what the former was thinking about these plans being made and/or implemented around him) was well on the way to recovering and so opted to check in on how Alexis was faring.

* * *

She came to gradually, just catching bits and pieces of conversation during her fleeting bouts of consciousness. Ironically, the first cohesive sentence she caught was of Ironhide expressing concern over the fact that she hadn't woken up yet. With a smile pulling at her lips, Alexis lit her optics, noting that she'd been propped up against the wall and stretching slightly to dispel the lethargy flooding her processor. Unfortunately, moving lent strength to the ache still lingering in her head, causing a groan to pass through her lips.

Ironhide was at her side in an instant, lightly touching her arm. "Hey, easy," he said, his tone and hand designed to keep her from moving. A pause, and then, "How are you feeling, Sky Dancer?"

She blinked, turning her head ever so slightly. The motion allowed her to get Scorpinok, who was watching her just as intently, in her sights. When she spoke, her voice was so soft it was near inaudible. "You saved us…?"

Scorpinok nodded. "I was already on my way when Snowcat got to you… Seems he had gotten hold of a metal pipe from somewhere and was out for blood. Said something about it being payback time after the second hit." Scorpinok paused, shifting his weight before adding, "He probably would have kept going if I hadn't fought him off… He ran just before I turned to fly after you and Ironhide. Caught you just in time, too."

Alexis shuttered her optics when a fresh wave of pain flooded through her skull. When it passed, she quietly said, "No one holds a grudge like a Decepticon…" In the next instant, she ran a check of her systems, attempting to assess just how bad the damage was. Which was how she became aware of a slight anomaly. Turning to look fully at Scorpinok, she questioned, "I would have thought that those hits would have caused more damage than is being reported…?"

Scorpinok quickly filled her in, causing Alexis to tilt her head back and stare at the red glow flooding the chamber with a sense of wonder. As she did so, she heard Scorpinok clear his throat and say, "We heard from Optimus that this phenomenon had been healing him. I imagine it's doing the same for you."

Alexis gave a soft sigh, listening as Scorpinok went on to say that everyone, notably Starscream, had been notified that she was going to be okay. She shifted once more to gaze back at him, which caused her head to start throbbing anew. Briefly, she wondered why the ache was still there if she was being healed, but then figured that her recovery was still in progress. Nevertheless, she activated her comlink to transmit a message to her fellow jet, knowing him well enough to recognize that he might just need to hear it directly from her. And, going by part of an argument she overheard between him and Jetfire, such assumptions were valid.

"I'm okay, Starscream," she said aloud, breaking up the argument. "There's no need for you to come after me."

There was a small exasperated sigh that came from his end, but he sounded relatively calm when he responded. "Let Ironhide and Scorpinok know that if something happens to you, I'll have their heads."

Alexis rolled her optics, shooting a timid, apologetic look at her companions. "They can hear you, Starscream," she answered, giving a mental laugh as she imagined how he must be reacting to this little tidbit. Perhaps, she and her fellow jet had gotten so used to communicating telepathically that it was hard to otherwise hold their tongues. After a short pause, she continued with, "Have a little faith. I'll be okay… And, before you say anything, I promise that we'll get moving as soon as I feel well enough."

Alexis shifted slightly, electing to get down to the main reason she'd contacted him. "And I'm holding you to what you promised me, in regards to Megatron… Do you remember what that was?"

A slight chuckle sounded over her comlink, followed by, "One good aft-kicking coming right up." A short pause, and then, "I'd better hurry, or Demolisher and Rodimus just might beat me there… Take care, Alexis."

Feeling a surge of warmth, she answered, "Stay safe, my love…"

* * *

Past issuing the order to Sideways, Megatron had returned to his throne, simply tapping into Unicron's abilities to try and get a sense of what his next move should be. He soon found that utilizing some of Unicron's defenses was no longer an option; the dark god's flesh had been depleted to the point that the organic tentacles had been nullified. And any Terrorcons that could be manufactured could very well be taken over by Scorpinok, if not outright destroyed by the Autobots.

Megatron was soon focused completely on Unicron's deterioration and pulling up a visual of the exterior of the dark god lent strength to what he suspected had happened. Odds were that Alpha Q had used Unicron to create something, more than likely huge. Try as he might, Megatron could not see what that something might be.

As a means of confirming the fact, Megatron pulled up streaming videos of the two Autobot groups he'd seen earlier; it didn't take long of listening to them (and the voices sounding through their comlinks) talk before he got a clearer picture of what was happening.

Megatron leaned back in his seat, briefly contemplating on summoning Sideways back to this chamber before deciding he wanted the latter to remain focused on eliminating Shockblast. And, he had no idea where Mirage, Snowcat, and Thundercracker were or even if they'd be able to reach him before any of the enemy soldiers arrived.

Megatron started fuming at the realization that all his plans to use Unicron as the ultimate weapon were likely slipping away from him. If there were any options to prevent this, he certainly couldn't see them. Much as he hated to admit it, the Autobots and Alpha Q had won.

A second later, a wry smile began playing at Megatron's lips as he recalled that all of the most important players (Optimus, Scorpinok, and Starscream) _were _positioned inside Unicron. And Alpha Q _was _certainly in the vicinity and would not be able to get away without help.

Perhaps, then, he could make sure their victory did not come free and without casualties. And that, if Unicron were to be destroyed, it would be on _his_ terms and his alone...

* * *

In anticipation for Unicron's destruction, Misha's thoughts inevitably turned to Alpha Q and the fact that his half of the dark god was still embedded in Unicron's stomach. Briefly, she turned to look at the image on the viewscreen, only to avert her eyes within seconds. Unicron's head was still glowing with the Energon that had been poured into it and was so bright that it could damage her retinas if she stared too long.

After broadcasting a message to Alpha Q to ask if he'd be able to get clear and learning that he would need aid, she opened a channel to everyone in the fleet. Before she could speak, however, Misha saw Kicker tense up out of the corner of her eye and say, in a near whisper, "Wha... What is that?"

Throwing a glance at the boy beside her filled Misha with dread, even without turning to see what he was looking at. Her gaze darted to Red Alert next as he looked up from whatever he was doing; the way his face melted into pure shock, with a tiny bit of fear, did nothing to put her at ease.

When she did finally turn around and her brain fully registered what she was seeing, a sharp gasp escaped from her lips.

A green mist had formed above Unicron's neck area, and it took a few seconds for Misha to realize that it was seeping out of the dark god as she watched. Kicker gave voice to what they were seeing before she did; understandable that he would know, given his abilities, but he clearly didn't see the significance. "Why is Megatron purging the Energon he's stolen?"

That single question was all that Misha needed to spur herself into action. Urgently, she opened up a communications channel, totally uncaring of who might be listening, and told everyone in the fleet to focus on blasting away at Unicron's stomach to help free Alpha Q. No sooner had she finished saying this then she addressed the fractured groups positioned within Unicron that they needed to drop everything and make a hasty retreat.

Kicker sounded downright scared when he spoke her name, softly and questioningly. Totally frazzled, Misha turned to look at him, knowing that she couldn't calm down even if she tried. She scarcely registered that Red Alert was asking Rodimus if the shields could be raised if the ship was cloaked before taking a breath. Too agitated to explain it in full, she blurted out, "Because he's trying to kill us all!"

Kicker hesitated, then maneuvered so he was facing her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. Later on, Misha would be thankful that he knew her well enough and was level-headed enough to coax it out of her. "Misha, talk to me," Kicker said in a terse, but still calm tone. "Tell me what's happening."

Meeting his eyes reassured her a little, and she took a few deep, calming breaths. As peacefully as she could manage, she said, "I know this because of some tests that your Dad and some other scientists have run, before the raids even started. They were trying to discover the best, most potent form of Energon - in either a liquid, solid, or gas state - both positively and negatively charged." She paused, taking another deep breath, then continued with, "According to their reports, the gas was too unstable if not properly contained, especially the negatively-charged variety. They were never able to pinpoint why, but something would cause it to detonate before very long."

Kicker froze for an instant, then spoke a single word in a questioning tone that said volumes. "Detonate?"

Misha nodded numbly. "With Megatron being in possession of as much of it as he is, we're talking enough force to wipe out Unicron and everything else within a two-mile radius... In essence - the Transformers' own equivalent of an atom bomb."

After what seemed like forever, Kicker slowly turned to look at the viewscreen, and Misha turned her gaze upwards, relieved when she saw that Red Alert was at the ship's controls, working to pilot the ship to a safe distance.

Misha nearly jumped out of her skin when she suddenly felt something nudging at her hand, but she calmed when she looked down to see Starxis gazing up at her in worry. Letting out a breath, she thought with a hint of melancholy, _Oh, my God... I forgot you were even here._

Starxis lifted his head, and the words he spoke were enough to inspire her to stay strong and brave. "All be okay?" he said in what seemed to be a questioning tone. "Mommy and Daddy?"

Misha pursed her lips, her hand moving to lightly stroke the youngling's head. While she wasn't sure, she dared not say or even think anything negative for his sake. Starxis had already been put through the wringer enough as far as his parents were concerned. "Everyone will be okay," she said simply, and held firmly onto that thought as her gaze returned to the screen...

* * *

It was fortunate that Misha left the channel open when she explained to Kicker what was happening; it spared the Autobots within Unicron to contact her for the reasons behind her request.

Still, it created a panic on most all levels.

Even as Demolisher, Rodimus, and Bluestreak were high-tailing it back the way they'd come, and Starscream and Jetfire were converting to their vehicle modes to make a hasty retreat, Elita was looking upwards with widened blue optics, her face showing that she was paralyzed with fear even without her saying anything.

Optimus leaned forward slightly, trying like mad to fight off the feeling of being overwhelmed. He knew Megatron and what the Decepticon commander was capable of, but this was taking things to a whole new level. Optimus couldn't say with any certainty how much time they had, but if all of his soldiers came out of this unscathed, it would be a miracle.

Turning his gaze downward, Optimus flexed his leg, trying to determine if he was healed enough to walk. Doing so allowed him to see, for the first time, that one of his thrusters had taken some damage in Shockblast's assault; until it was looked at, it would probably be best not to attempt flying. In the next instant, he was raising his good arm to grasp at the wall, preparing to haul himself up.

Noticing that he was moving, Elita looked his way and was soon prodded into moving herself. Rising to her feet, she quickly moved to his side to support him. The first question to escape her lips was, "Can you transform?"

Optimus shook his head. "Not until I'm fully healed. Attempting to do so could make the damage worse." He paused, letting out a groan once he put his full weight on his injured leg; it caused him to shift to release the pressure. "I can move, but not as fast as I'd like."

Elita lightly chewed at her lip, then sidled up next to him, positioning herself just under his left shoulder with her arm lightly draped across his back. "Put your weight on me then. It'll help." She must have anticipated that he might protest, for she continued with, "And don't even think about arguing with me! We don't have time for it!"

Optimus sighed, then did as she requested. And as they started walking, he was secretly grateful for the fact that she was so headstrong. He'd never have been able to manage this pace on his own.

Tilting his head downwards a notch, Optimus silently watched Elita (who was thankfully unaware of his scrutiny) for a moment or two, experiencing an indescribable emotion at the concept of having someone who may, time and again, challenge him without penalty...

* * *

Had she not been forced to move\get up, Alexis certainly would have been better off. She was no sooner on her feet than she was staggering, her vision getting so blurry that she had to completely dim her optics. When the accompanying feeling of dizziness died down, she straightened slightly, only to be startled when she felt and heard something rattling around inside her head. If she had to hazard a guess, one of her stabilizing circuits had been disconnected, which was something that could unfortunately only be repaired by Red Alert or some other medic.

Lighting her optics back up, Alexis was surprised to find herself in Scorpinok's arms. But then, she probably had needed someone to hold her steady. After a second or two, she voiced the one problem associated with this. "Guess that answers the question on whether or not I can fly straight... Snowcat picked an excellent time to mess me up."

A fleeting half-frown rose to Scorpinok's face, but it was gone before she could blink. He shifted his weight, his hands rising up to lightly touch her back. "It's fine," he said curtly, his words providing her with an odd sense of comfort despite the inflection. "I can fly all three of us out of here, but we have to hurry." He hoisted her against his chest, instructing her to fling her arms around his neck to support herself. Under any other circumstances, or if it had been anyone else, she might have felt awkward or self-conscious at the close proximity.

Ironhide was shortly positioned to her right, primarily supported in the crook of Scorpinok's arm, with instructions to keep a close watch on her in case another dizzy spell hit. Alexis let out a soft sigh, bowing her head slightly and feeling an unnecessary ache at the thought of being a hindrance.

In the next instant, Scorpinok took flight, moving at such a slow pace that she was poised to ask why. Then, about three hundred feet up, they entered a long narrow tunnel leading upwards (she briefly found it hard to imagine that this was where she and Ironhide had fallen from), which was so tight that Scorpinok had no choice but to stay as steady as possible, and Alexis began to simply and silently pray that they'd make it out in one piece.

* * *

For roughly twelve minutes past the time when he had fallen from Unicron's spark chamber, Shockblast had hidden himself within the nearest alcove he could find, even going so far as to dim his optic to the point where he could still see but not be as easily detected. As the moments ticked by, he grew increasingly nervous and irate at himself over what he'd done; it couldn't be long before Sideways, if not someone else, found him.

It wasn't long before Shockblast was pondering over how good his chances were to escape Unicron. But then, he recalled that the Autobots were out and about in force on the exterior. Even if he did manage to make it out without coming under siege from his own team, the opposing faction would certainly make every effort to take him out as well.

Shockblast turned his gaze downwards, wracking his processor for a solution on how to get out of this mess. Finally, he decided with a sigh that desperate times called for desperate measures; it wasn't as if he had anything to lose.

Giving another sigh, Shockblast activated his comlink. If anyone was nearby to hear him speak a single name, they surely would have called him insane. "Megatron."

For a long moment, there was no answer forthcoming, then the sound of the Decepticon leader's voice rang through, full of irony and scorn. "How nice of you to contact me, Shockblast. You just helped me pinpoint exactly where you're hiding... Though I somehow doubt you'll do me the kindness of staying put for the nearest executioner."

Shockblast gulped, his next words coming out in a rush. "I'll do you one better," he said hurriedly, a note of panic in his voice. "Allow me to throw myself at your mercy!"

Another silence, and then the sound of scathing laughter. "You truly are a piece of work," Megatron answered. "You can't honestly expect..."

Shockblast interrupted, uncaring of whether or not he was being disrespectful, "Please! I'll do anything!"

This third silence had to be the worst, as Shockblast waited with increasing nervousness for an answer. He was even looking all around, expecting someone to be coming for him at any moment, when Megatron finally responded. "I really should destroy you. But very well. I'll give you another chance, Shockblast." A pause, and then, "But if you cross me again, I promise you will not live to regret it."

Shockblast lowered his head a notch, his entire being flooded with relief. "What is it you would have me do?" he asked, and listened with mounting confusion as Megatron gave him the simplest of instructions to carry out. Though perplexed on what this would accomplish, Shockblast stepped out of the alcove and swiftly moved in the direction of the coordinates given to him. When he reached a nearby threshold leading to an adjacent vertical tunnel, he charged up his weapon and proceeded to blast away at the roof.

When enough debris had come crashing down and the entryway was completely sealed off, Shockblast contacted Megatron to say that it was done. When the Decepticon leader answered by saying he'd send out an alert to recant the execution orders, Shockblast began to feel a thousand times better...

* * *

"Have you lost your slagging mind?"

Those were the first words to cross Sideway's lips in reaction to Megatron's announcement that Shockblast's life was to be spared. The rogue bot had still been steaming over the fact that he could no longer walk through walls, and this development was enough to send his outrage skyrocketing.

There was an edge to Megatron's words when he responded, "I hardly think so, Sideways. Shockblast still holds some worth despite being a troublemaker. So long as he remains useful, I see no problem in keeping him around a while longer."

Sideways sneered, but before he could offer a response, Megatron was going on with, "Now, I'm about to order the troops to return to Unicron's spark chamber for the time being. I've placed a shield around that room that should safeguard all the soldiers against, shall we say, an explosion. I'd suggest you return there as well, Sideways; when it's over, I want you and the others to seek me out."

Sideways paused, blinking furiously before responding with, "When what's over?"

When Megatron failed to answer right away, Sideways angrily yelled out his name over the com channel; when this too failed to yield results, the rogue bot came to realize that the communication between them had been terminated.

Shaking with rage at the notion that he was being ignored on more than one level, Sideways threw a hard punch at the nearest wall, cursing the Decepticon commander with every fiber of his being...

* * *

When her next dizzy spell hit (which surprised her as all it took was a slight tilt of her head to trigger it), Alexis had no reason to be concerned. Ironhide saw her optics glazing over right away and had immediately reached across to help support her. And they'd been making decent progress on their upwards journey; Scorpinok had covered a good amount of distance despite his slow and steady speed.

The first thing that concerned her, once it passed, was to discover that they'd come to a halt. Alexis gingerly turned her head to look up at Scorpinok. "Why'd we stop?" she asked, half tired and half anxious.

Scorpinok hesitated for a brief moment, then answered, "Because I heard something. Sounded like cannon fire and sounded close." He remained silent for another minute, in which the three of them simply waited and listened. When there was no further indication of a disturbance, Scorpinok gave a sigh and elected to continue on his way, though he did tell his passengers (Ironhide specifically) to stay alert for any sign of trouble.

After a few moments, Scorpinok began to rotate on his axis, repositioning so he was facing off to his left. When he stopped a second time and a soft curse escaped his lips, Alexis slowly turned her head to see what he was looking at. As she took in the sight of an entryway filled with rubble, she heard Ironhide say, "That was our way out, I take it?"

Scorpinok bowed his head slightly and answered, "Not our only one, but the best route to take from this point." Resuming his upward journey, he added, "The next entryway isn't far away, but this is going to slow us up a little."

Alexis lightly chewed at her lip, her fear returning. "That cannon fire you heard... Could someone have deliberately sealed off our exit?"

Scorpinok hesitated for the briefest of moments, but didn't sound scared when he responded; she had to commend him for that. "It's possible. But it's going to take more than that to stop us."

Alexis would have argued the point, but stopped when another wave of dizziness threatened to overtake her. With a small moan, she leaned her head against Scorpinok's chest, relieved when that helped stave it off.

It wasn't much longer before the three of them were back on solid ground. At Scorpinok's prodding, Alexis released her hold on his neck, giving a slight smile as he gently lowered her to the floor. Ironhide, however, expressed concern over her well-being when he said, "Can you walk, or did you want me to carry you the rest of the way?"

Alexis offered her partner a look of appreciation, but quickly determined that she should be alright so long as she didn't make any sudden or unnecessary movements. Holding her head upright, she merely told her companions to keep monitoring her just in case. Scorpinok gave a slight nod, then turned and began moving again, with both trainees falling in behind him.

When no more spells threatened to kick in over the walking distance that followed, Alexis began to feel slightly better and more confident that they'd all be alright. She grew even more elated once Scorpinok announced that they were getting close to their exit point; as they moved to enter the next chamber, she said a silent prayer that the Energon would hold off on detonating for at least ten minutes more.

Her hopes died the instant she saw that Megatron was standing, looking surprisingly cavalier, in the center of the chamber, everything in his posture indicating that he'd been expecting them. In fact, she stopped so suddenly that Ironhide couldn't avoid colliding with her, though not hard enough to make her lose her balance.

In her fright, Alexis took half a step towards Scorpinok, laying her hand on his arm. Surprisingly, her companion didn't even react to her touch, keeping his gaze fully on Megatron. So fearful she was that it didn't register that she was (thankfully) remaining lucid, but it took her only a second to realize that they'd been driven straight here.

Wearing a wry smile and with his arms casually crossed, Megatron said, "How nice of you not to keep me waiting too long." He gave a short, cruel laugh, then added, "And I imagine it won't be much longer before this chamber becomes a tomb - for two of you, at least."

While Alexis exchanged a nervous look with Ironhide, Scorpinok spoke out, seemingly undaunted. Amazing it was, that the latter could remain unafraid in the face of this threat. "You can't honestly expect to detain all three of us."

Megatron adopted a cocky smile. "Well, let's see... Two novices and one experienced soldier who couldn't hold his own in an earlier fight... I'd say I still like my odds very much."

Alexis stood poised to remind Megatron that the environment around them was on the verge of detonation and that staying put would be a mistake, even for him. However, she was waylaid when he focused directly on her, the glint in his optics causing her to shiver involuntarily. "It is a shame though, that it's come to this," Megatron stated. "If I'd heeded Sideways' warnings a bit sooner, you'd still be at my side, dear girl."

Though a little unclear of just what these warnings consisted of, Alexis raised her head a notch as the words struck a nerve, her blue optics flashing with anger and defiance. How dare he think it a bad thing, that she was back to being herself! "And I can assure you, that is the last place in the world I'd want to be," she responded in a low, intense tone.

Megatron's optics shone with fury for an instant; in that same second, Alexis quietly opened up a one-way channel on her coms, making sure that the one on the receiving end could only listen and not respond to what was transpiring. The last thing she wanted was to alert the Decepticon commander that she was calling for help.

Shifting his weight, Megatron responded, his words coming out in a snarl, "And just what is it that makes him so much better?"

Alexis dropped her hand from Scorpinok's arm to her side, her courage fueled by anger. "Because he's always wanted me for who I am inside and not as some fictional, idealized puppet." She was poised to say more when the sound of a distant explosion reached her audio sensors, causing her to tilt her head back slightly to look upwards with fear in her optics. Later on, she would never be sure if this blast was connected to the Energon gas being purged or to some random altercation between soldiers.

Scorpinok must have heard it as well, for he was the next to speak. "Don't be a fool, Megatron. You must know that the longer we stay here, the greater the risk that we'll all be destroyed."

Megatron sneered as he focused fully on Scorpinok. Moving to draw his sword, he answered, "And I can guarantee that you won't last long enough to see that happen, traitor."

Megatron had barely taken a threatening step in their direction before Scorpinok, Alexis, and Ironhide broke formation, the latter two reaching for their weapons while the former adopted a half aggressive, half defensive stance. What happened next seemed to occur so quickly and yet seemed to unfold in slow motion.

Though all three rushed him at once, each of them no more than a second behind the other, Megatron deftly made short work of them. Alexis barely noted that Scorpinok had been slapped aside with a rough backhand before the Decepticon leader twisted slightly to sidestep her and her partner. In the next millisecond, Megatron had wrapped one hand around Ironhide's shoulder to shove him off balance, simultaneously clutching a fistful of her metallic hair and using her own momentum against her.

Alexis cried out as she landed in a heap on the floor, pain flaring at the spot where the metal filaments had been ripped loose of their moorings. At the same time, at the absolute worst moment, she was assaulted by another dizzy spell, this one overtaking her so suddenly that she could only incline her head towards the floor with a small whimper.

Though she willed it to pass her by quickly, the dizziness, accompanied by a low buzzing in her skull, took its time dissipating. Still, Alexis was aware of being rolled over onto her back; she began wildly flailing out with her arms as soon as she was able, but was surprised when none of her swings connected with anything or anyone.

When her vision cleared and the droning in her head died away, Alexis became aware of the sounds of fighting off to her left. Turning slowly over onto her side, she soon saw Ironhide sprawled across the floor on his back not far from her, looking somewhat dazed. Softly, she spoke his name, the tone just loud enough to draw his attention but not to be heard over the din of the battle.

Ironhide rolled over so he was on his hands and knees and was at her side in seconds to help her sit up. As soon as her optics alighted on Megatron, Alexis gasped and fidgeted slightly, causing her partner to turn and see that the Decepticon commander was menacingly stalking towards them, the sword held intently at his side dripping with some semi-viscous dark fluid.

Letting her gaze wander on allowed Alexis to see that the few moments in which she was out of it had left Scorpinok in bad shape. Her first glimpse of the majestic bot showed her that he was hunched over some yards behind Megatron, his face contorted in pain and one of his hands (apparently cut off at the wrist) missing. Seeing something glinting on the floor nearby, Alexis shifted her gaze to see that the very tip of Scorpinok's tail, stinger and all, had also been severed.

Feeling ill, Alexis was starting to rise to her feet, with Ironhide doing likewise beside her, when she saw Megatron's sneer deepen; the Decepticon commander began moving towards them at a slightly faster pace.

Alexis was never sure if the strangled cry that left her lips caught Scorpinok's attention or not, but in the next instant, she would forever regret that she'd not been able to convey to him and Ironhide that Starscream had been tuned in for the past couple minutes (at the thought, she shut down the broadcast; it had served its purpose) and was surely on his way.

In any event, Scorpinok started moving, the look on his face showing his determination to defend the two trainees by any means necessary. Though it was impossible that Megatron could have heard him approaching in time to react, the Decepticon leader was still surpassing all of their expectations.

Megatron had turned and his sword was planted within Scorpinok's chest at an upward angle (which stopped the latter dead in his tracks with a loud grunt) before Alexis and Ironhide knew it. Huddled together in fear, both rookies gasped in unison, a cold feeling washing over them.

Megatron was smug as ever when he said aloud, "Who's the fool now, Scorpinok?" A cruel chuckle, and then, "Maybe you didn't take me seriously when I promised you wouldn't live to see Unicron destroyed. Either way, that will cost you dearly."

At those words, Megatron reached out to grasp Scorpinok's shoulder, and both Alexis and Ironhide flinched as the sword was shoved in deeper and then savagely twisted to the right. In the next millisecond, Scorpinok tilted his head back and let loose with a horrendous scream that chilled Alexis to the core and which she was sure would haunt her darkest nightmares for eons to come...

* * *

It had taken mere minutes to successfully free Alpha Q; Unicron's body had deteriorated enough that it had taken little firepower to break up the areas where the horns had ploughed in. Once this task was completed, Unicron's head began inching backwards, building momentum as it went. In no time, the spindly bot was well on his way to the minimum safe distance.

Traveling slightly behind Alpha Q, those aboard Rodimus' shuttle were now absolutely certain that Unicron's head had been transformed into a small sun. It was still glowing brightly in a nice shade of red and wasn't showing signs of burning out anytime soon. Amazing it was, that Alpha Q could have successfully revitalized his planets and yet still have enough Energon left over for this purpose.

While Red Alert was silently speculating that Alpha Q must have collected more Energon on his independent endeavors than any of the Autobots had been aware of, Kicker started to notice that there were several multicolored spheres of light that seemed to be orbiting the newly born sun, each of them moving alongside the former. _Hard to believe, _Kicker mused_, that these lights are in fact resurrected planets._

No sooner had Kicker thought this than Red Alert suddenly drew in a sharp breath, causing both teenagers to turn and look at him in curiosity. Though it was unclear if the medic heard Misha's inquiry into what was up, it was nevertheless answered when Red Alert opened up the channel to Alpha Q and questioned in an agitated tone why he had stopped.

Misha turned to look at the main screen, mildly aware that Starxis was starting to whine at her side. While she couldn't readily see any evidence of this, she knew that the senses of the Transformers were much keener.

The answer was slow at coming, but it served to rile up all four occupants on the ship. "It's Scorpinok," Alpha Q said, sounding slightly dazed. Off of some prodding from Kicker, he added, "Megatron has intercepted him... He's dying!"

There was a short silence, then Kicker stepped forward. At the same time, Starxis' whining increased in volume, prompting Misha to drop to her knees and cup his head in her hands while she gently and ineffectively attempted to shush him. "What about Alexis and Ironhide?" Kicker said in a raised tone, his concern undoubtedly mirroring, in part, what had Starxis so bothered.

"Megatron has them trapped," Alpha Q said absently. There was a short silence, then the spindly bot added, in a trembling voice, "I have to go back."

Kicker hesitated for a split second, then blurted out, "What? What are you talking about 'go back'?" No sooner had the words left him than the giant red orb started moving again, this time back the way it had come, at top speed. If anything, at least the shuttle's occupants could be thankful that Alpha Q was clear-headed enough to bypass them.

Red Alert was the next to speak, beating Kicker to the punch. "Alpha Q, what do you think you're doing? You're going to get yourself killed!"

The answer was somewhat halted, as Alpha Q kept switching from one persona to the next with each sentence. "I won't leave Scorpinok to die! The Energon worked to heal a select few! It can do the same for him!"

Red Alert was speechless for a moment, barely noticing when Kicker jumped in to argue the point. He'd known that Alpha Q and Scorpinok were affiliated with each other, but he'd not understood the exact depth of their relationship. The fact that the spindly bot was willing to risk everything definitely spoke of a deep-seated devotion.

In the next moment, Red Alert shifted his attention back to the control panel before him, reminding himself that ensuring Kicker and Misha's safety should be his sole priority. Though he resumed with piloting the ship forward, he did switch the view on the screen to display what was happening at the rear of the shuttle at Kicker's behest.

When she turned to look at the monitor, though she remained kneeling beside Starxis, Misha let out a small gasp when she saw that the green Energon mist was now entirely coating Unicron's body, as though it was now seeping out of every vent along the dark god's frame. She was poised to transmit a message to Alpha Q that he needed to retreat when she saw evidence of a small explosion (punctuated by a large jet of flame extending upwards) in the vicinity of Unicron's left shoulder.

When similar explosions began dotting the length of Unicron's body (at least the parts she could see around the giant red orb controlled by Alpha Q), Misha knew that it was only a matter of seconds before the most massive detonation came. The anguished cry that left her, stemming from her fear over the fact that a number of the Transformers she knew and cared about were almost certainly not going to survive (even though she could see a number of crafts flying at full speed away from Unicron), drew Kicker to her side.

Misha looked up at the boy she loved, a sob escaping her lips when she saw in his eyes a look that reflected her own. A second later, Kicker wordlessly pulled her against him and held on tightly, as they both tried like mad to prepare themselves for the world around them to fall to pieces.

When the shuttle started violently rocking a few seconds later as though it had been hit by a massive shockwave, Kicker, Misha, and Starxis were caught off guard enough that they all lost their balance, winding up in a heap on the floor. When the rocking didn't cease right away, it caused the two teenagers worry; for a couple seconds, they began to doubt that they'd made it to safety and wondered if they just might be joining the casualty list of this day.

When the shuddering at last ceased, Kicker and Misha, and even the youngling, refrained from moving for a moment or two, nor did Red Alert say anything to break the silence. Perhaps all four of them had needed that time to register that they were still alive, that the explosion had in fact not directly touched them.

Without rising from her spot on the floor, Misha let her gaze wander until it landed on Kicker, then she wordlessly reached out to touch his hand with her own. After a split-second, she lightly bit her lip, trying to work up the nerve to look at the screen. Such an action was easier said than done; Misha didn't want to face the reality that all their efforts to help Alpha Q and Scorpinok had ended in tragedy.

Ironically, Starxis was the first to get up; upon the realization that the teenagers weren't moving, he turned, lowered his head, and started nudging Misha with his snout. When that caused her to roll over and look at the youngling questioningly, she was taken aback. Starxis didn't appear the least bit devastated as she'd imagined he would at losing Alexis; the youngling's single directive to her and Kicker to "look" caused the teenagers (and Red Alert behind them) to gaze at the screen.

In the heat of the moment, the two humans and the Autobot medic would swear that the sight that greeted them defied all imagination and explanation.

In short, and against all odds, Unicron (both halves of him) was still standing...

* * *

If Ironhide had considered attacking Megatron during those few tenuous seconds, the opportunity was lost when the Decepticon leader withdrew his sword and flung Scorpinok across the room so that he landed awkwardly against the nearest wall.

Even as Megatron turned to face the two trainees once more, Alexis' anguished gaze remained locked on Scorpinok. Surprisingly, he was still alive, but he only had minutes left at best. She prayed that Starscream would be arriving any second; otherwise, each passing moment was lessening Scorpinok's chances of survival.

Before a word could be said, the sounds of multiple explosions, from above and below began to reach her and her companions; in response to this, Ironhide barked out, in an obviously desperate bid, "We have to get out of here now, Megatron!"

Much to the shock of the two partners, Megatron merely smirked at this statement. Shifting his weight, he responded in an ironic tone, "Do you honestly think I wouldn't have implemented certain safeguards for myself?" A short pause, and then, "I shielded this entire chamber against the destruction to come the moment I arrived here."

Alexis tilted her head downwards a notch, fearing for an instant that Starscream would not be able to get past the shield before realizing that she, Scorpinok, and Ironhide had likely passed through it to get here. Odds were it wasn't designed to keep a living being from walking in or out.

Even that thought failed to comfort her when the room they were in began violently shaking, the tremors so powerful that it knocked Alexis, Ironhide, and even Megatron off their feet. As she landed face down on the floor with a sharp gasp, Alexis still took a small amount of pleasure at the look of pure shock on Megatron's face.

If not for the fact that the Decepticon commander was showing signs of not anticipating this, Alexis might have been more fearful than she actually was when the tremors didn't cease right away. When they finally did begin to die down, she was shocked when a loud booming sound echoed through the chamber. Alexis raised her head, just in time to see the wall and part of the floor that Scorpinok was propped against give way.

A cry escaped her lips when she saw Scorpinok drop out of sight; from her angle, she couldn't see how far he fell. After a second, she bowed her head, a wave of grief washing over her at the realization that he may indeed be lost.

When the room stopped shaking, Alexis gradually became aware that the world around her had surprisingly gotten quiet. She remained still, the silence grating on her nerves more than the sounds of explosions likely would have, as she wondered how they could all still be standing.

Hearing Megatron laughing a couple seconds later proved to be even more disturbing. Alexis and Ironhide tilted their heads to look at him, beyond surprised when they saw him standing in the center of the chamber and that he _wasn't _paying them any heed.

As she sat up once more, Alexis saw Ironhide silently mouth if she was okay. Just as quietly, she nodded, feeling a sense of relief when parroting the same question at him elicited the same response. She threw another glance at Megatron, unsure whether to be thankful or nervous over the fact that he hadn't budged and that he was still laughing.

Alexis barely had a chance to wonder what was so amusing when she became aware of a slight change in the atmosphere around them. When she heard a very faint whistling sound, indicative of a disturbance in the air, she reluctantly turned and followed Megatron's gaze.

A second later, her optics were as wide as could be, as it registered that there was now a gaping crater in Unicron's frame that allowed Megatron, Ironhide, and herself to see the outside world. Though she knew that she and her partner had an opportunity to escape via this route, there were two things that stopped her.

1) Megatron's attention could easily be caught if they moved and there was no telling how he might react. After his treatment of Scorpinok, she was even more fearful of what might happen to Ironhide.

2) There was a giant vertical white light now present near the battlefield, which she realized upon close examination resembled a portal of sorts. Not knowing just what it was nor where it had come from made her reluctant to move. When she saw one of the nearby shuttlecrafts start to inch towards it within seconds, she guessed that it had some sort of gravity well.

When Megatron spoke, it caused Alexis to nearly jump out of her skin, she was so on edge. But then, the Decepticon commander, amused though he may be, didn't give any clear indication that he was speaking to her and Ironhide. "So this is what happens when large amounts of positive and negative Energon interact... How funny that the forces generated are powerful enough to create a fissure in space."

Hearing this, Alexis lowered her head a notch, feeling an indescribable emotion at the implication. Briefly, she wondered if Alpha Q was still nearby and if he was still able to heal Scorpinok. An answer was provided within seconds, when a warm red light came streaming into the chamber (though she couldn't quite see where it was coming from) and she felt a rush of energy surge through her once more.

Either way, she prayed that it may be enough to save Scorpinok's life.

Just then, her comlink buzzed to life at the worst possible moment, and Optimus' worried voice rang through to inquire just where she was at. With all the confusion and chaos, it shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did that he'd probably not been informed of her and Ironhide's location or predicament.

When this caused Megatron to finally turn to regard her and her partner, it was all Alexis could do to maintain a brave facade. In the next second, Ironhide half stepped in front of her, his arm held out as though to shield her. "Don't even think about it!" Ironhide barked out, his own bravado a comfort to her.

One corner of Megatron's mouth curled up in a wry smile. "Or what?" he answered, moving fractionally in their direction. "In case you didn't notice, I took down Scorpinok without breaking a sweat, and he was the experienced one..."

Ironhide's answer would forevermore make Alexis proud; just about anyone else at his level might have faltered at the threat. "I'm not scared of you," Ironhide said, his tone so devoid of fear that neither Megatron nor Alexis was sure if he was putting on a show or not.

Unfortunately, Megatron was not someone who liked being challenged, in any shape or form. The way he shifted his weight and the sneer that rose to his lips worked to increase Alexis' dread slightly. "So be it," he said in a low dangerous tone, his hand flexing around his sword's hilt in a threatening manner. "I've cut down hundreds of Autobots in my time. If you want to be the latest on a very long list, then let's get down to it."

Alexis couldn't see Ironhide's face, but she had every suspicion that he might rise to Megatron's challenge, if only to keep her safe for a moment more. She started to raise her hand to grasp at her partner's shoulder, intent on stopping him and preparing to surrender herself to Megatron to safeguard Ironhide in turn.

Fortunately, she found a millisecond later that she didn't have to.

"Get away from them, Megatron!" came the very welcome, albeit angry, sound of Starscream's voice from the opposite side of the chamber.

Alexis' optics remained on Megatron long enough to see his scowl deepen before she turned her gaze towards her fellow jet. She was a little surprised to see that Demolisher and Rodimus were with him, but she was nevertheless still very relieved to see him. The way that Ironhide wrapped one arm around her, resulting in her half running/half being carried over to where the three new arrivals were standing hinted that he had been putting on an act and had been just as terrified as she was.

"Where's Scorpinok?" Rodimus cut in before Megatron (or anyone else) could say a word.

Megatron cocked his head to one side, his trademark smirk returning. "You're a little late to save that traitor," he said in a humored tone. "He's long gone by now."

Though Alexis wanted to say out loud that Scorpinok had fallen through an indeterminate number of levels, she couldn't deny that the possibility that he may even now be recovering from his injuries. If that was the case, he may soon be well enough to move on his own and would not need any aid from them. The best she could do at this point was pray for him.

Starscream was virtually seething when he took a step forward, his wing sword held purposefully at his side. "Whatever harm you've caused him will be the last you inflict on anyone! This ends now, Megatron!"

Megatron's scowl returned. "This ends when I say it does!"

Starscream took another step forward, but then stopped and tilted his head back to look upwards when he heard the sound of laser fire. With lightning quick reflexes, he leaped backwards, just avoiding getting hit.

Until that moment, Alexis hadn't seen that a large portion of the ceiling was gone, but it disheartened her when she saw a number of Decepticons descending through the crater (all of whom soon fell into formation behind their leader), including Sideways and three others who she didn't know. For a moment, she kept her gaze on Sideways, fearful that he might vanish before her optics at any second, but then noticed that he was looking towards Megatron with something like contempt.

Megatron briefly turned to regard the soldiers who had come to join him; the fact that he didn't look overly surprised to see them suggested that he must have summoned them at some point. "Where are Snowcat and Shockblast?"

The blue and gray mech to Megatron's right was the first to speak. Gesturing to the oversized white portal out in space, he stated in an excitable tone, "They got caught in the gravitational forces. Whatever that is, they're being drawn in as we speak."

Hearing that, Alexis turned her gaze towards the opening in Unicron's midsection, and it didn't take her long to assess that the portal had "changed size." She stilled her breath, and the few seconds in which she just listened informed her that the wind whistling through the chamber had fractionally increased in volume. If the gravity well was strong enough to catch hold of two normal-sized Transformers, then it had certainly seized hold of Unicron's body as well.

The body of the dark god was only minutes away from being pulled in, and Alexis was near certain that she didn't want to be on board when that happened.

When Megatron's comlink activated, transmitting a plea for help from Snowcat so awash with static that it was difficult to make out, it compounded the need to get away. Shifting her weight, Alexis put one hand to Starscream's shoulder to get him to look at her, telling him with a single expression what she wanted.

Starscream hesitated for an instant, a large part of him itching for the chance to take Megatron down once and for all, but that one glance at Alexis' face was all it took to undo him. Turning back to face Megatron, he sheathed his sword, taking half a step back while activating his laser cannons. Without looking at Alexis, he wrapped one arm around her protectively before issuing an order to his companions to open fire.

Pinned down by the barrage of laser beams, Megatron was unable to prevent Starscream's group from escaping. Once the firing had stopped, he surveyed the area where they had been with a seething expression, until Thundercracker nervously asked if they could retreat. "If we stay any longer, we're going to be swallowed up as well, sir."

Megatron bowed his head slightly, remaining silent for a very short but tense moment. It was never apparent what he was thinking, but he did eventually turn to regard the anomaly out in space. What he had to say suggested that he had seen such a phenomenon before, however. "Perhaps that may not be a bad thing, Thundercracker." With a slight chuckle, he added, "I believe we may have been granted the very thing to turn the battle back in our favor and give us another chance to restore Unicron..."

_Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this installment and found it well worth the wait. I promise it will **not **take another year to get through the next chapter. :D_


	31. Starting From Scratch

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's Notes: At long last, the continuation of Sky Dancer is here. Thank you all for being so patient with me; I hope you'll find it to be well worth the wait. And some time ago, I had said that one of the characters would be departing from the story in this installment, and I had a poll going in reference to it. Kudos if you're one of the people who guessed correctly; you know who you are. :D_

_Also, be on the lookout for a character from Transformers: Cybertron (not Thundercracker) to make a cameo appearance._

_Enjoy!_

Chapter Thirty

Just seconds after Megatron made the declaration, he was barking out orders, even while his mind was flooding with all possible outcomes of this battle. Very few of the Autobots were fools, and it couldn't be very long before one of them reached the conclusion that this anomaly was nothing more threatening than a bridge linking two different points in the universe.

Even as Thundercracker and Mirage were rushing off in different directions to round up the scattered groups of Decepticons, Sideways was sneering beneath his faceplate at Megatron's directive that he locate Scorpinok. If anything, the rogue bot could be thankful that Megatron didn't know he could no longer become incorporeal. Having briefly been filled in on Scorpinok's status, Sideways answered, "Unless you wish to personally watch that traitor die, perhaps you shouldn't waste your energy and time in seeking him out."

Megatron scowled. "Don't be so quick to assume, Sideways. Scorpinok may yet be useful to us." A slight pause, and then, "Now go. We have very little time to work with as it is."

At those words, Megatron took to the air, soaring upwards through the hole in the ceiling and presumably heading for his throne room. With a soft sigh, and although he was raging inside, Sideways moved to begin his search...

Getting clear of the anomaly, without getting trapped by the gravitational forces therein, was relatively easy. The last group of stragglers to make it out were able to use Unicron as a shield while they made it to safety.

It was a matter of minutes before all of the key Autobots that Alexis had come to know (well, most of them anyway) were gathered on the bridge of Rodimus' shuttle. No sooner had she and her group arrived than Red Alert and Optimus were barking out orders geared towards getting the ship prepped to pass safely through the anomaly. When questioned by Ironhide, the Autobot commander tersely stated that they'd picked up a homing beacon courtesy of Scavenger (who'd apparently gotten pulled into the anomaly) that was positioned trillions of miles across the galaxy.

"Red Alert and I have determined that what we're looking at here is a wormhole of sorts. That being the case, we shouldn't face any problem in passing through ourselves. And the sooner, the better; I'd rather not allow Megatron too much time to regroup."

Red Alert spoke up when Optimus fell silent. "That aside, we'd also need someone to remain on this side of the rift, to journey back to Cybertron and tell what's happened. Anyone who would like to volunteer towards this end, say so now." Following this request, it didn't take long for Bluestreak to speak up, and he was soon being escorted outside to the smaller crafts that were magnetically attached to the hull.

Having been encouraged by Ironhide to sit until Red Alert could have a look at her, Alexis leaned back wearily in her chair and sighed, feeling so tired that she barely noticed when Starxis came, softly purring, to cuddle in her lap. For a few moments, all that she could do was stare bleakly at the tableau on the viewscreen. At this point, Unicron's body was barely visible in the center of the fissure, but it vanished within seconds as she watched. Whether this was due to it being obscured by the white light or it passing through the heart of the portal, Alexis was uncertain.

In either case, she felt some degree of apprehension over what awaited her and her friends on the other side. Despite her worry that Megatron still may not go down easily or quietly, and over the possibility that Scorpinok may not survive long enough to be rescued, her thoughts were on Snowcat of all bots. Now that things had calmed down, so to speak, her mind was inexplicably focused on the eccentric Decepticon and how he had attacked her.

And, out of everything she could be feeling or worrying about right now, a wave of guilt over what she'd done to Cyclonus/Snowcat assaulted her. After all, it was largely because of that very event that Scorpinok was now, if not dead, in very bad shape, alone and behind enemy lines.

As she was facing forward, Alexis knew by the way Starscream turned his head ever so slightly in her direction that he was undoubtedly hearing her thoughts. However, words meant to make her feel better came not from him, but from a more surprising source.

Her gaze was drawn down to Starxis when the youngling moved, propping his front legs against her stomach so he could gaze up at her better. She was even more astonished when the youngling said, "Can help you reach Scorpinok."

Alexis blinked, and it took her a moment to realize that Starxis intended to open up a telepathic channel between her and the injured majestic bot. The fact that the youngling was willing to connect her mind to someone other than Starscream's was most likely a reflection of just how worried and/or scared she was. At the realization, Alexis breathed a sigh of relief; Starxis' offer also strongly suggested that Scorpinok wasn't beyond help.

With a soft smile pulling at her lips, Alexis languidly lifted one hand to stroke the youngling's head. "Thank you," she murmured...

His first impression, upon lighting his optics, was that it was too dark to see. With a small groan, Scorpinok shifted slightly, then pressed one hand lightly to his chest when a dull ache hit him. For a second, he felt disoriented and unsure of where he was or how he'd gotten here.

Then, his hand found the grievous wound at his chest and he became aware of how weak and tired he felt. With a sigh, Scorpinok settled back against whatever was propping him up, his hand dropping to his side as he initiated a self-diagnostic check. After a few more seconds, he got a clear-cut impression of just how bad off he was; the multiple alarms and flashing warnings telling how much damage his vital circuits and wiring had taken were too numerous. Even now, the rhythmic pulse of his spark was definitely slowing.

_So this is how it ends,_ Scorpinok thought tiredly, with a hint of sorrow. _Seems it's my fate to die alone for a second time._ He tilted his head back, getting a flash of everyone he cared about or had come to call a friend in recent days, one after the other in quick succession: Alpha Q, Rodimus, Ironhide, and, last but not least, Sky Dancer. Looking upwards though he couldn't see anything, he softly whispered, "I'm sorry..."

Though he wouldn't attest to have those same words first and foremost on his processor, the surprising voice responding in his head indicated that they were there. _If that's you saying that you don't expect to live much longer, you can save it, Scorpinok! We've come too close to winning for you to just quit now!_

Scorpinok leaned his head back against the wall, turning his gaze upwards when he heard a clanging sound somewhere above him. After a moment of listening and\or determining that it was probably nothing, he focused his thoughts on an answer. _Unless you're about to tell me that you and the others are moments away, I'm afraid it can't be helped, Sky Dancer,_ he answered in a quiet tone.

_If the Decepticons find you, __**then**__, and only then, it can't be helped, Scorpinok!_ she responded in a fierce tone. _Until then, Alpha Q, the Autobots, and I are __**not**__ giving up on you! _A slight pause, and then, _Now find someplace to hide, soldier!_

Scorpinok could never be sure if it was her tone or the words that inspired him, but he did find himself sitting up straight with some effort, groaning as he did so. Planting one hand against the floor to hold himself up and providing Sky Dancer with a mental affirmative, he began feeling around with his other hand to get a sense of his surroundings and which way he should be moving.

Scorpinok had barely scooted an inch to the left before he was hunched over, a fresh wave of pain overtaking him and his internal alarms increasing ever so slightly in volume. When it passed, he slowly sat up straight, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders once more.

With a deep sigh, Scorpinok lowered his visor over his optics, activating the communication screen and softly speaking his sovereign's name. When it registered that he couldn't even see the viewscreen in the darkness, Scorpinok at last realized that both his optics were broken as well. Alpha Q responded quickly, in a jubilant, excitable tone, but Scorpinok was quick to get down to business.

"We don't have a lot of time, Alpha Q," Scorpinok stated in a somber tone. "So please, just listen... There's something I'll need you to do for me, if I don't..." Scorpinok broke off temporarily, the pain in his chest flaring once more. "Something I wish I'd had the time and opportunity to do myself..."

For three hundred years, the area of space known as the Mequet Nebula had been barren and uninhabitable. Those who had lived long enough, had they been asked, would have claimed it had once been home to a thriving civilization.

At the time that the outskirts of the nebula exploded with activity without warning, one such long-lived being with cause to be nearby watched with great interest. When it became apparent that a battle was taking place, this spectator's interest was piqued when he saw the combatants were beings not unlike himself.

Though he was shortly abandoning his perch on an asteroid and going airborne, the spectator still felt slightly wary about getting close without knowing anything about the two groups of fighters or their grievance with each other. He had gotten perhaps a third of the way there before choosing to engage a camouflage shield; by the time he reached the broken outer shell of the most enormous Transformer he had ever seen, he was able to slip in undetected.

Passing through the anomaly went off without a hitch, thanks both to the piloting skills of Rodimus' team and Red Alert's on-the-spot compensating for the gravity and density as they got closer and closer to the heart of the portal. Once on the other side, Rodimus' ship, and the dozen others following in its wake, soon fell into an attack formation.

Alexis sat up straight in her seat at the sight of Unicron, instantly pleased to see that the dark god was in such a decimated state. It wouldn't take as much firepower to blast him to pieces, at least.

So fixed she was on the sight before her on the viewscreen that Alexis didn't immediately catch on that Rodimus was broadcasting a message to the fleet to concentrate their shots on Unicron's left arm. Once it registered, she shifted her gaze and was just in time to see said arm completely severed at the elbow in one or two volleys.

Leaning back in her chair, Alexis let a soft smile rise to her lips and thought simply, _The nightmare's finally going to be over..._

Once he'd returned to his throne room, Megatron was quick to seat himself and patch into Unicron's processor, and the freestanding viewscreen he shortly had up before him showed him the Autobots had pursued through the rift and resumed their attack on the dark god, as he expected.

Though he sneered at the sight, Megatron nevertheless stayed focused on the task he'd rushed up here to carry out. Despite being interrupted briefly by an incoming message from Sideways to say that Scorpinok had been located and taking the time to issue another instruction, Megatron was soon well underway to initiating a teleportation sequence.

All seemed to be going alright until the rising hum in the air around him, which was something of an indication that the sequence was charging up, suddenly died away. Megatron sat in silence for an instant, blinking rapidly as he tried to reason out why it had failed. Until he recalled that he had, no less than forty minutes before, purged the energy reserves he'd had stored up, the Decepticon commander couldn't fathom what had gone wrong.

At the realization, Megatron let out a roar of rage, slamming one fist down on the arm of the throne with enough force to dent it. After a few seconds spent fuming, he forced himself to think of something, _anything_, that could be done to salvage the situation, to collect what little Energon he needed to help complete the teleport. He refused to just give up until all options had been exhausted.

In the next moment, Megatron recalled that he had absorbed some excess energy from the abundant source poured into Unicron's head, and it was likely that all other Decepticons in the vicinity had as well. Without a second thought and completely unmindful of the consequences this action could bring in his desperation to win, Megatron quickly focused on locating each and every one of his troops, and summoned the means to forcefully extract the Energon they all carried...

Though still fuming over the orders that Megatron was throwing at him and expecting him to follow without question, Sideways' rage was offset by the sight of the wounded bot before him. Despite the ill feelings he bore towards the Decepticon commander, it paled in comparison to his dislike of Scorpinok.

Sideways swiftly strode towards his wounded companion, opening a panel from his wrist and pulling out a pair of wires as he did so. Once a similar panel had been opened on Scorpinok's arm, Sideways jacked in to the ports he saw resting there and initiated a quick scan of the latter's vitals.

A second later, Sideways looked up at his companion's face with an amused grin, finding it fortunate that Scorpinok was unconscious for the time being, though that was slightly hard to determine given that both of Scorpinok's optics were cracked and completely dark. "You're definitely a resilient one," Sideways stated. "A mark in your favor... and Megatron's." Sideways detached the wires and tucked them away, then began to examine the extent of Scorpinok's injuries and determine how best to fix him up.

Sideways had barely started at this task before he saw a mass of thick cables come snaking down through the gaping hole in the ceiling. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, the cables were swarming around him and Scorpinok, connecting to any and all available ports on both of them.

Sideways stiffened, resisting the urge to yell out as he felt the surplus of energy stored inside him being ripped out. No sooner was this accomplished then the cables withdrew, leaving the rogue bot to collapse onto the floor in a fit of pain.

It took a great deal of effort following this for Sideways to pull himself together and refocus on Scorpinok, cursing out loud when he saw the assault had left his companion in dire trouble. Even as he was cursing Megatron for exacerbating the situation (for who else could have done this and so callously at that), Sideways surged towards Scorpinok, paying close attention to the failing hums and whining motors that indicated his companion was still among the living.

_Desperate times call for desperate measures_, Sideways thought bitterly, feeling a touch of irony as he began connecting wires from various parts of his body to Scorpinok to act as a sort of crude life support system. _And you're not getting off that easy._

Once he was convinced that Scorpinok was stabilizing, Sideways let out a breath. In the next instant, the rogue bot was tapping into his companion's processor\memories per Megatron's instructions, saying aloud, "Now, let's see how the Autobots discovered our location to begin with..."

No sooner had Megatron collected the needed Energon than he was attempting a second teleportation sequence. This proved even more infuriating than the first try, as the full charge was nearly achieved before it once more died away. Clearly, even that small amount of power he'd accumulated wasn't enough to get the job done.

Megatron let out an infuriated snarl, then began to wrack his processor for alternatives. Briefly, he considered transforming Unicron back into his planet mode for better defense, but the dark god was already so decimated that it might not make a difference.

Megatron returned his focus to the viewscreen in front of him that was displaying the battle outside. Much as he hated to admit it, the possibility of escaping, with Unicron in hand, was rapidly fading away. With a sneer, Megatron came to the realization that he may have to cut his losses, gather his soldiers together, and run for it while he could.

But then, something unexpected and which would prove to be a godsend happened...

On the bridge of Rodimus' ship, Alexis was so sure that the nightmare was coming to a close that it startled her immensely when some proximity warnings, accompanied by their own unique alarm, started flashing on the main screen.

For an instant, all the other Autobots dropped what they were doing and turned to look at the monitor in a sort of daze. Then, someone (Alexis wasn't sure which of the ship's three longtime occupants initiated it) pulled up a visual of whatever was getting too close to them.

She was still trying to make sense of the giant red orb that had appeared out of nowhere while the shuttle was being piloted away from it. By the time Alexis began to see a faint outline of Unicron's head beneath the surface, she could hear one of her companions (possibly Hot Shot) shouting an alarm that Megatron was getting away.

Alexis returned her focus to the main screen, a soft gasp escaping her lips when she saw the remainder of Unicron's body was shimmering, indicative of a teleportation sequence. Before she could even utter a curse, it was rapidly disappearing from view. And in seconds, all that was left in this region of space were the Autobot shuttles and the red Energon sun behind them.

Their quarry was gone.

Alexis looked downwards, in a state of disbelief that they had lost. While she was still trying to process what had happened, a visual of Alpha Q suddenly appeared on the screen. She was never sure afterwards if someone had contacted him or he'd tapped into their feed, but the spindly bot was quick to offer an apology.

Switching from one face to another mid-sentence over the course of his speech, Alpha Q stated, "Scorpinok had contacted me to say that he was dying. I thought that if I could only heal him a little more by following through the rift..."

Rodimus stepped forward. "But you didn't count on Megatron drawing power from the same source," he said in a heated tone. He understood that Alpha Q cared about Scorpinok and probably couldn't have borne the thought of losing him, but it did nothing to alleviate the anger Rodimus was feeling. "Slag it, Alpha Q! You picked a wonderful time to behave rashly!"

Alexis hesitated, needing time to collect her thoughts and come up with a possible solution based on what she knew. On the heels of Alpha Q offering another apology, she shifted in her chair and rose to her feet, Starxis climbing to her shoulder as she did so. She saw Starscream begin to instinctively approach her with a concerned look, but she gestured to him that she was fine.

"So we just do what we did before to find Megatron," Alexis said aloud. "Alpha Q, if you would..."

The spindly bot offered a quick, excited affirmative, then grew silent, his head tilted downwards as he focused on the task at hand. After a minute of silence, Alpha Q looked back up, and those watching him were unable to glimpse an ounce of helplessness in his demeanor until he spoke. "I can't."

Alexis shifted her weight slightly, her face clouded with uncertainty. "Alpha Q...?" she said quietly, questionably.

Switching to his more frenzied persona, Alpha Q answered, "I'm trying to pinpoint Unicron's location, and all I'm being shown is a solid black screen! I don't understand!"

Before another word could be said, a free-standing viewscreen suddenly appeared just in front of the main monitor, concealing Alpha Q from view and causing a select few of the Autobots to nearly jump out of their skin. The fact that an image of a chuckling Megatron shortly appeared on this screen did nothing to put them at ease.

Though his gaze traveled briefly to Alexis, causing her to shiver slightly, Megatron was soon focused wholeheartedly on the Autobots' leader. "I commend you for putting up such an excellent fight, Prime. But don't think for an instant that I'll let you win that easily." He paused for a brief moment, then added, "It wasn't very difficult to determine how you discovered where we were hiding Unicron, but rest assured, you will not be pulling off that trick again anytime soon."

Optimus took a step forward, wincing slightly as his damaged kneecap protested the movement. He took a moment to compose himself, then stated, "Megatron, this is madness. You should give this up now before it goes any further. If we - any of us - give Unicron a chance to get strong again, there's no telling what might happen. You know as well as I do that Unicron is more powerful than all of us combined. He can't be controlled."

One side of Megatron's mouth curled up in a sneer, and he replied, "And yet, we didn't hear a peep out of him when all that power came pouring in... If that wasn't enough to awaken Unicron, then I'm inclined to think we're safe keeping his Energon intake at a reasonable level. In either case..." Megatron shifted his weight, still looking quite amused. "Neither you Autobots nor Alpha Q will be able to locate Unicron while he's being rebuilt. Once that happens, I'll be paying you all another visit."

Though it didn't surprise her when the viewscreen vanished, Alexis still felt a chill when it did. After a long moment, she looked around at her companions with a numb feeling (briefly startled when her optics alighted on Scavenger with a cuffed, unconscious Shockblast draped over one shoulder; she hadn't seen or heard them come in) to see that the majority of them, even Alpha Q, looked as downtrodden as she felt.

Red Alert was the first to move once his gaze landed on Optimus. Almost instantly, the medic in him took charge and he stepped towards the still-wounded commander. After doing a cursory examination of Optimus' injuries, Red Alert let out a sigh and said, "Nothing that a few hours in a CR chamber wouldn't fix."

Once Optimus was situated inside one of the chambers (though it took a bit to convince the Autobot commander that the rest of them could handle another fight against the Decepticons on the off chance that one arose), Red Alert moved towards Alexis next and insisted that she accompany him to the ship's infirmary for a thorough examination.

As she, Red Alert, and Starscream were departing the bridge, Alexis took heart in the fact that Scavenger was asking Rodimus to guide him to the brig, or whatever counted as one, to secure their prisoner. The fact that Shockblast, at least, was being taken out of play was a small mark in their favor.

Despite experiencing another moment of vertigo en route, Alexis was reclining comfortably on an upraised berth facing Starscream (who'd been told to stand somewhere out of the way for the time being), feeling oddly lethargic as Red Alert opened a panel on the side of her head and set about removing the loose circuit.

Alexis turned her head slightly to gaze at Red Alert when the medic didn't move or say anything right away, to find him closely examining the circuit – for signs of damage, she supposed. It had been rattling around in her head, particularly during the fight, long enough. Curiously, she asked, "What's the verdict?"

Red Alert looked up at her with a start – perhaps hadn't been expecting her to speak – then went back to perusing the object in his hands with pursed lips. He spent another minute on this examination, rotating the circuit this way and that, before tentatively saying, "I'm not seeing any defects…"

"But?" Alexis questioned after a moment, sensing that there was one.

Red Alert shook his head. "I could run a complete diagnostic, but for that, we'd either need to be back on Cybertron or at one of the colonies on Earth." He gave the infirmary a quick once-over, then focused back on her. "I could ask him, but I don't think Rodimus has the precise equipment I'd need, or that I'm used to, for that matter."

Alexis hesitated. "Suppose you reattach this circuit, without running any diagnostics… Couldn't I just come back to you in the event of a problem?"

Red Alert was silent for a beat, and Alexis gathered by looking at him that the suggestion bothered him. She didn't have to be a genius to guess why. Without giving him a chance to respond, she said, "I'm on the same page, Red Alert. The last thing I want is to pass out again in the middle of a battle." She turned her head so she was gazing back at the ceiling, letting out a deep breath, then looked down at Starxis resting on her chest when the youngling simply stated that he wanted her to be okay.

Starscream was the next to speak, following a short silence. "On the other hand, Alexis, we could run tests on you specifically, by putting the stabilizing circuit back and having you perform several exercises to see if you suffer any ill effects." He turned to look at Red Alert. "Would that be satisfactory?"

After a second or two of thought, the medic nodded. "But only on the condition that one or both of you come to me right away if any more symptoms present themselves later," Red Alert answered, moving to approach Alexis to finish up what needed to be done. "We can never be too careful…"

Unlike Shockblast, who'd blacked out and been captured by the Autobots following his passage through the portal, good fortune smiled on Snowcat, in more ways than one. In the resulting chaos of the battle, the eccentric bot continued to elude capture despite being pursued by Scavenger and made it back on board Unicron just seconds before the teleport was successfully pulled off.

Reuniting with Mirage, Thundercracker, and a handful of other Decepticons somewhere within Unicron's remains, however, Snowcat was startled to hear of what Megatron had done; while the eccentric bot was somewhat glad he'd not been present for the event, he still felt for the comrades around him. After all, having part of one's energy supply torn out like that was not a pleasant experience, as Snowcat knew from years past.

Somehow, the decision to confront the Decepticon commander and call him out for this particular action was more or less agreed upon. Mirage proved to be the only holdout for some reason or other, spouting off some nonsense that Megatron had probably had a good reason for doing what he did, and had refused to accompany the rest of the group. And Thundercracker, for all his outcry over the matter, didn't take long to lose his nerve in the face of their commander.

But, as always, Megatron had his own unique way of settling conflicts through tyranny. He'd simply sat silently through the complaints, perhaps waiting to see just who made the most noise. When the biggest protestor presented itself in the form of a seasoned veteran named Bonecrusher, Megatron had resolved the matter by charging his cannons and taking the poor guy down in one shot before he (or anyone else) could react.

Megatron's words as he, looking thoroughly bored, stood and exited the room, were sufficient to weaken the resolve of those who remained. "Anyone else who wishes to continue this discussion is more than welcome to join him."

Dazed, Snowcat looked down at the smoking remains of Bonecrusher with a sinking feeling. _Slag, that was cold…_

Even though Alpha had determined he could no longer discover where Megatron was hiding, and even though the Decepticon leader had confirmed it, that didn't stop the young, spindly bot from trying (and failing) several more times. Alpha Q's reasoning was that even Megatron would have to rest sooner or later; there was the possibility that the block would not stay active indefinitely.

Come three o'clock in the morning, Alpha Q began to view the endeavor as hopeless. And, even though the battle had gone halfway in his favor – he had managed to reconstruct the lost planets – Alpha Q didn't feel much like celebrating at the cost of his oldest and dearest friend.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to happen," Alpha Q, or rather his more frenzied persona, said aloud in the dark, enclosed space, beginning to pace back and forth. "Scorpinok should not be in Megatron's clutches at this moment."

Switching to his own more serene guise, Alpha Q gave a reply as though he was speaking to an altogether separate entity. "Scorpinok knew the risks, my brother. It is unfortunate that it should have played out like this, but we should not grieve indefinitely. He would not want us to." Alpha Q looked towards the two inanimate objects sitting in one corner – a gift that Scorpinok had intended to bestow upon Sky Dancer – and his current persona barely had time to voice that their lost comrade "would want them to carry on in his stead" before the aggressive persona was taking over.

"How dare you suggest giving up on Scorpinok! We don't even know for sure that he won't be coming back. Until then, it is not our right to grant gifts that he meant to give himself!"

From the most intelligent of Alpha Q's facets: "You are quite right, my brother. It would perhaps be prudent to wait and see for the time being. But, should the outcome not be a favorable one, then we'd do well to abide by Scorpinok's last wishes." When affirmatives chimed in from the other three personas, this current one wrapped things up by saying, "Then it is time to focus on other matters. Particularly, the planets we have brought back to life…"

Long after Megatron had radioed him to say that they'd escaped the Autobots, Sideways remained sequestered in the same narrow corridor where he'd located Scorpinok, working to repair as much damage as possible to the extent that the latter would have a fighting chance. At some point, Snowcat (who'd apparently made it back on board just before the teleport was initiated) had temporarily dropped in to deliver some necessary materials needed for this task, but Sideways had barely paid him any heed.

After some time, Sideways leaned away from Scorpinok, letting out a groan as he shifted into a more comfortable position and taking care not to disturb the cables that were still connecting them to one another. The rogue bot had been at this for so long (and his internal chronometer informed him that it was currently well into the nighttime hours, meaning that all others were likely asleep) that he had gotten stiff; his aching joints, if anything, was only adding to the mounting list of complaints he had against Megatron at this point.

Rubbing at the back of his head, Sideways shot a contemptuous look towards Scorpinok, angrily muttering, "Why you had to put him so close to death's door if you wanted him alive is beyond me… Would have been simpler to just let him offline."

Not for the first time, Sideways found himself wondering why he was even bothering with this. And, as before, he was forced to remind himself that this was an opportunity to even the score with Scorpinok.

At the thought, Sideways smiled smugly beneath his faceplate, amusing himself with the prospect of turning Scorpinok into a subservient drone. Granted, it would benefit Megatron to gain Scorpinok, and the Terrorcon army that served him, as an ally once more, but the notion that Alpha Q would also likely suffer for it was enough to convince Sideways to see it through.

Plus, there was the fact that this little endeavor would sooner or later backfire on the Decepticon leader. During his examination of Scorpinok's processor, Sideways had been startled to discover some safeguards in place, beyond anything he had ever seen before, meant to ensure that the mind of the majestic bot could not be tampered with. While Sideways was experienced enough with hacking to work around this, it was only a matter of time before the initial programming overwrote the code sequences he was putting in place.

In short, Scorpinok would not remain a drone indefinitely.

After a moment of rest and working out the kinks, Sideways resigned himself to getting back to work; once the repairs were finished, the rest would be a breeze. He had just shifted, reaching towards Scorpinok once more, when he suddenly got a strong feeling he was being watched. When the sensation didn't dissipate right away, Sideways froze, simultaneously stilling his breath, until he became aware of a slight disturbance in the air behind him.

Sideways turned, marveling for a second that he hadn't even heard anyone enter the chamber. He didn't immediately recognize the blue and yellow winged mech across the room, but then, he hadn't much time to familiarize himself with all the new recruits that had come from Cybertron. After a minute of silence, Sideways sneered, wondering why the new arrival was just staring at him, and stated, "Let me guess. Megatron wants an update on how things are progressing."

The stranger cocked his head to one side, looking taken aback for an instant. The startled look was gone just as quickly though, followed by a reply spoken in a melodious tone with a synthesized, electronic-sounding undercurrent that niggled at the corners of Sideways' memories. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected you to remember me, brother. But then, I suppose it would be hard to put a name to the new face."

Sideways remained silent for a long moment, focusing wholeheartedly on the newcomer and wracking his processor. Though the tone sounded so familiar, he couldn't quite place it, nor could he determine just how this mech knew him. Then, he noticed that the newcomer wasn't sporting any visible Decepticon insignias, and this raised his curiosity even more. "Who are you?"

The slight shifting of this stranger's faceplates hinted a smile beneath the plating covering his mouth. Taking a step forward and dropping into a crouch opposite the rogue bot, he voiced a single statement that unequivocally determined Sideways' fate from this moment on. "You'd know me best as Soundwave…"

If there was one thing that was true of Red Alert as a medic, it was that he didn't allow any patient to be up and about unless he was convinced of their well-being. Thus, when Alexis suffered another dizzy spell during a routine test of her melee skills (though she suspected it was more due to lack of rest than anything else, given that she hadn't slept much from the point that she and Scorpinok had escaped Megatron three days ago), Red Alert insisted she stay in the infirmary overnight for observation.

Starscream, true to form, insisted on staying as well, and had taken up residence in one of the neighboring berths, but had made Red Alert swear to come get him in the event he was needed on the bridge for some reason or other.

Alexis was nevertheless surprised to find both Starscream and Starxis gone when she was gently nudged awake sometime in the early hours in the morning, and was even more startled when her optics landed on the one who had come to rouse her. Maneuvering slightly on the berth to make herself more comfortable, Alexis questioned, "Elita?" A pause, and then, "Didn't expect to see you."

Elita offered Alexis a reassuring smile and quickly set about bringing her fellow femme up to speed. "Alpha Q contacted my father about an hour ago," Elita said in a soft, peaceful tone. "I don't know all the details as of yet, but something was said that made father organize a meeting with all the veteran Autobots. Even your medic, Red Alert, was asked to attend." Elita shifted her weight, reaching out to touch Alexis' shoulder in a cordial manner. "I offered to look in on you in his place. While my doctoral skills aren't nearly on the same level, I know enough of the basics to do a standard checkup."

After a slight hesitation, Alexis offered a smile in return, sitting up straight with a little help from Elita. The simple tests that followed, assessing Alexis' vision, reflexes, and basic motor skills, all went off without a hitch. With that accomplished, Elita encouraged the femme jet to stand and simply pace back and forth across the room, to see if any more symptoms presented themselves.

With a sigh, Alexis did as requested while Elita went to half-sit on one of the berths, looking fully prepared to spring to her feet again if necessary. The few seconds of silence that followed, however, weighed heavily on Alexis' nerves, prompting her to speak. "Sorry to be such a bother," was the first thing she could think to say.

Elita gave a dismissive wave. "Don't be silly, Sky Dancer. You're no bother." A pause, then, "Getting injured happens even to the best of us. One of the drawbacks of being a soldier embroiled in war…"

Elita trailed off so suddenly that Alexis turned to look at her companion, instantly perplexed and concerned by the gloomy look that had taken hold of the other femme. It didn't take Elita long to see that she had drawn the attention of her "patient", and she swiftly made an effort to compose herself. "Sorry," Elita said. "I was just reminded of…"

When her companion didn't say anything further, Alexis was compelled to fill in the blanks. "Optimus," the femme jet said softly, stopping in her tracks and turning to face Elita. "Well, like you said, it happens, and he's okay now," Alexis added in a conversational tone.

After a moment of silence, Elita, shame-faced, spoke again. She quickly and quietly divulged the little tidbit that Optimus had been shot by a roving Decepticon and could have potentially died, given any other circumstances. Shifting her weight, Elita bowed her head at Alexis' bewildered look, saying simply, "What a great guardian I turned out to be, huh?"

It took several seconds for Alexis to formulate a response. "If you're looking for someone to assign blame or reprimand you, I won't be the one to do it, Elita," she stated firmly, causing her companion to regard her with an equal amount of bewilderment. "Experienced or not, we all make mistakes. Your father must have believed you could handle yourself, or he would have protested your choice, but… It's as you yourself said – you're not a soldier. I'm sure that, with enough time and training, you…"

Elita brightened, jumping in before Alexis finished the thought. "You could teach me," she blurted out. When the femme jet responded by taking on a slightly astonished look, Elita's smile wavered and she went to staring at the floor. "I'm sorry. That was presumptuous of me. Of course, you're still learning the ropes yourself."

Alexis took a small step forward, offering Elita a reassuring grin when her fellow femme looked back up. "No worries," Alexis answered. "I may not make a great teacher, but I'm sure that Optimus would…"

Elita's expression turned to one of panic so quickly that it caused Alexis to break off. In the next instant, Elita bowed her head, and it took a few seconds before she shyly said, "I couldn't... Slag, forget I brought it up. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him."

For half a minute, Alexis simply stared at Elita, uncomprehending, until a possible cause for the other femme's behavior struck her. Giving a short laugh that caused Elita to shoot her a bewildered look, Alexis softly said, "You're attracted to him, aren't you?"

When Elita didn't offer a response and instead began nervously fidgeting, Alexis shifted her weight, crossing her arms in a casual manner. "There's nothing to be ashamed of… But, if you want me to keep this under wraps, I'd be more than happy to do so." Alexis paused, making a mental note to try and keep this particular thought shielded from Starscream; it was nothing that concerned her beloved and some matters were just better kept private.

Changing the subject, Alexis went on with, "You know, I've met and become friends with so many Transformers over the last few years. But…" This time, it was Alexis' turn to be shy and hesitant. "But, I've never had any other femmes to pal around with. Not until now. I think that…" She looked up at Elita, nervously rubbing her hands together. "If you'll let me, I think you'll find that I'd make a terrific friend. Someone to share secrets with…"

Elita blinked, unsure how to respond for a moment. Then her thoughts turned to Chromia; as much as she loved her sister, Chromia was oft times too hot-headed and brash to hold a spark-to-spark conversation with.

So it was that Elita looked back at Alexis with a warm smile and said simply, "I'd like that…"

As many of the Autobots would find out, once they were all assembled, Alpha Q had told Rodimus just one simple thing; specifically, the spindly bot had determined that the region of space they'd wound up in would be an ideal one to establish a new solar system. Even now, the view on the shuttle main monitor showed that the giant red Energon sun had positioned itself in a prime location; there was even a small planet (born from one of the energy orbs and growing fractionally larger by the hour, according to Rodimus) that was now in orbit some distance from the sun.

Rodimus kicked off the discussions by saying, "I'd not thought much of it at the outset, but I began to see a potential problem the more I considered it." He hesitated, turning to look at the monitor. He had never been to this particular region of space and made it a point to say so. "Plus, it appears that the portal that brought us all here was only one-sided; we won't be able to return to where we were."

At the words, Kicker and Misha, seated side by side on of the counters, turned to look at each other momentarily, concern evident on both of their faces. Though Bluestreak had to have made it to Cybertron by now, it was uncertain how long it may take before those on the metallic planet grew worried enough to come looking. At least the two teenagers still had enough food to last them a while. Even still, the two of them snuggled closer together, seeking what comfort they could.

Rodimus waited to see if anyone would speak, then went on with, "I have no idea how far we are from Cybertron. But I have switched on the onboard beacon, and I intend to keep it active until further – and yes, I have requested all other ships in the fleet to do the same. With any luck, we'll be found and will have backup at our disposal before we know it."

At this, Rodimus turned to look at Optimus, going on to state that he and the Autobot commander had discussed this prior to the meeting and had come up with an additional item of concern. Clearing his throat and taking center stage, Optimus continued the announcement. "It's unlikely that Megatron knows this region of the galaxy any better than we do. But one thing is clear – he fully intends to restore Unicron once more. And for that, he's going to need all the Energon he can lay his hands on."

Optimus gestured towards the monitor displaying the sun housing Alpha Q at its core. "It's likely that there may be no greater source then the one we see before us. And, as has been stated, each of the planets that Alpha Q has brought back will contain a greater stockpile than any of us could hope for." Optimus turned back to face his men, going on with, "Unfortunately, it's likely that Megatron will have realized this as well, if he hasn't already…"

In the silence that followed, every single one of the soldiers gathered in that room was speechless, each of them overwhelmed by the implications of what Optimus was saying. Demolisher was the first to speak, clinging to a more positive aspect once it crossed his mind. "But, Megatron doesn't have the Terrorcons at his disposal anymore. He dispatched them during the battle; we all saw it. And… they were the only ones who could safely harvest it. What chance does he have without them?"

Starscream shook his head, dashing his friend's hopes. "You're forgetting the handful that Scorpinok took control of, Demolisher… We lost sight of them when Unicron was hollowed out, but if even one made it, that would be enough for Megatron to start with." Starscream paused, then, as if anticipating another protest, went on with, "And Megatron could easily manufacture any new Terrorcons that would be programmed to follow him and him alone. He wouldn't need Scorpinok to control them."

His gaze on the monitor, Red Alert spoke up after another period of silence. "With all due respect, Optimus… We had enough difficulties protecting our colonies, and then Cybertron, from Megatron and his Decepticons. And now, our forces – slag, even our resources - are limited until further notice. You can't honestly expect us to protect an entire planetary system."

Much to everyone's surprise, Optimus solemnly shook his head. "No, I don't." After a brief moment, he looked up, fixing each of his soldiers with a determined gaze. "But I do expect each and every one of us to give it our best shot…"

Alexis and Elita had continued to talk and get acquainted with one another until Red Alert dropped in to check on the former. The medic was quick to update them both on what had been said, then set about putting Alexis through another series of tests. When no more dizzy spells struck her this time around, Red Alert gave her a clean bill of health, though he did once more make her promise to come see him if something cropped up.

So it was that Alexis ventured out of the infirmary (leaving Red Alert and Elita in conversation with each other over their respective medical expertise) for the first time in twenty-four hours. Once outside the door, she hesitated for the briefest of moments, then began to make her way to the bridge. Aside from suspecting she may find Starscream there, she had no clue what the current bunking arrangements were; it would be best to have Rodimus or Chromia show her to the most suitable quarters.

Upon reaching the bridge, Alexis was slightly surprised when she didn't see either of the bots in question. Looking up at her entrance and shortly becoming aware of what was on her mind thanks to Starxis, Starscream broke off from some idle chitchat he'd apparently been having with Kicker and Misha and took a step in her direction. In spite of the fact that he had to know the answer, Starscream still asked, "All better?"

Alexis nodded, and all she had to do was idly wonder where their hosts had gone before her fellow jet was answering, "Rodimus went to check on some mechanical problem in the engine room, and… I'm not entirely sure where Chromia disappeared to. Just looked up at one point, and she had vanished."

"Nothing to do but wait then," Alexis answered, striding further into the room and throwing a glance at the two teenagers. "How are you both doing?"

Kicker tilted his head up a notch, a sly look in his eyes. "Hoping we don't have to sleep on a hard surface again like last night," he answered, raising one hand to rub at the back of his neck. "I still have a spasm I have yet to work out." At her questioning look, Kicker said, "Jetfire's checking the other shuttles as we speak to see if there's any human-size beds available. Or at least something halfway more comfy."

Gazing sympathetically at the teenagers, Alexis said simply, uncaring that Kicker waved dismissively at her, "Don't you worry. We're going to do everything we can to get back to where we're supposed to be. Make everything right again…"

At those words, Alexis turned her head, her gaze fixed on a specific point on the viewscreen. Until Starscream came to gently lay one hand on her shoulder and she heard him think, _There was nothing you could have done_, she hadn't been aware of just how much her thoughts had, once more, been focused on Scorpinok.

Without moving her gaze from the spot where Unicron had vanished, Alexis tilted her head slightly to the side and responded, _Won't stop me from wondering about all the What-ifs..._ She was silent for a beat, then leaned against him and continued with, _I wish there had been a way that we could've gotten Scorpinok out as well. We don't even know if he's been healed enough to move or if he's still alive. Especially if Megatron's found him..._

Starscream put one hand to her face, gently turning her head towards him. _You can't think like that. It won't do any good to drive yourself crazy before this situation completely plays itself out._ He paused, allowing the silently spoken words to comfort her. _And I want you to know that I owe Scorpinok better than that. He did safeguard you not once, but twice, when I couldn't, and he's proven that, in spite of everything, he has a good spark... I promise you, Alexis, that I won't give up on him until I know for certain that it won't do any good._

Alexis remained silent, simply staring at him in appreciation, though getting Starxis in her sights also caused her to experience a twinge of guilt. She hadn't counted on them all getting stranded in an unknown location and thus hadn't thought about packing any meals to keep the youngling satisfied long term. All she could do was hope that she (and the ragtag group she was stuck with) didn't remain lost for very long...

When Megatron awoke that same morning, he was pleased to find Scorpinok had been fully repaired and was awaiting his command. Upon hearing from Thundercracker that (a rather grumpy) Sideways had appeared in the throne room near an hour ago with the newest member of their ranks but had not stuck around, Megatron had not thought much of it. Odds were that the rogue bot was pretty steamed over yesterday's events; Sideways _had_ sounded particularly irate with the decision concerning Shockblast. In either event, Megatron supposed he'd give the absent soldier time to cool off. Commanding Scorpinok to take what few Terrorcons were available and go Energon-hunting proved to be a sufficient distraction from the matter for the time being.

As the day wore on, however, a handful of Decepticons – Thundercracker included – could be heard asking one another where Sideways had disappeared to. Eventually, the mystery of the rogue bot's continued absence was weighing on Megatron enough that he demanded all of his soldiers to scour Unicron's entire body in search of their missing comrade.

Until one of the troops – Megatron didn't know which one – radioed up from the interior of the battleship (which had been parked within Unicron's stomach during the assault and which had suffered from minor damage by falling partially through the floor) some time later, there was no sign of Sideways to be found. Though the Decepticon commander was puzzled by the request that he (as well as Snowcat, Mirage, and Thundercracker) come down to the control room of the ship, it was curiosity over what the slag was going on that made him grudgingly oblige.

Megatron's first view of Sideways, plastered on the main viewscreen of the battleship's control room, was the very last thing he wanted to see waiting for him. He couldn't identify the locale in which the rogue bot (appearing quite smug with his arms folded together in a casual manner) was standing; the most that Megatron could tell was that Sideways was on board some other, wholly unfamiliar starship.

Shifting his weight at the sight of the Decepticon commander, Sideways said, in a downright amused tone, "I was wondering how long it would take you to find out I was gone."

Megatron snarled, taking a step towards the screen. "Where the slag are you, Sideways?" he barked out. "You had better have a good explanation for this!"

Sideways chuckled lightly. "Oh, you think I owe you an explanation now," he said casually. "Funny how that works." Sideways tilted his head slightly to the left. "I seem to recall you promising to treat me as an equal when we first partnered up. I honestly should have known better, given how well I knew you. It's no wonder so many of your soldiers turn on you, Megatron... You practically beg for it." Sideways' gaze swept across the room at this, drawing attention to the fact that all three members of Megatron's inner circle were hearing this; it had to be a deliberate act on the former's part. "I wonder just who will be the next to turn tail and run."

Megatron's hands clenched into fists at his sides, his entire being flooding with rage. "When I find you, Sideways, I will make you pay for this."

Another chuckle sounded from beneath Sideways' faceplate. "Good luck trying." A pause, and then, "Though I must also thank you, for leading me down this particular path. I started out as someone simply looking to avenge the home I'd lost before Unicron, and then you, came along. I don't think I'll ever be able to pinpoint when, but I had lost sight of myself somewhere along the way. I can't believe how far I've strayed, getting swept up in a war that wasn't mine and looking to settle petty grievances." Sideways hesitated, turning his head so that he was looking off to the right; his next words strongly implied that someone else was there, standing somewhere off camera. "Fortunately for me, I was given a reminder I very much needed."

It seemed as though an eternity passed before Sideways looked back at Megatron, giving a mock salute. "Adieu, mon capitan," he taunted in a bad French accent. "If our paths never cross again, it will be too soon." At those words, the screen flickered once and faded to black before Megatron could even think of a reply.

For a long while, Megatron just stared at the dark screen in silence, shaking ever so slightly with fury. None of his men dared move or speak a word in those moments; whether or not they agreed with Sideways, not a one wanted to have that anger focused on them.

When Megatron at last charged up his cannons, aimed them at the monitor, and fired off a single volley that tore the screen apart, the Decepticons at his side nearly jumped out of their skins. While Snowcat, Mirage, and Thundercracker were still cowering, Megatron simply turned on his heel, not paying them any heed whatsoever, and stomped towards the exit.

In the absence of their leader, Snowcat quickly composed himself, though he rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. Focusing on his two comrades, he summed it all up in a few simple words, "I vote we never so much as mention Sideways' name past this point…"


	32. Breaking Point

Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's notes - Sorry to all that it's been so very long since my last update, but I am still very much determined to finish this story. I haven't had a lot of free time the last year to work with - I have gotten a new job working up to twelve hours a day, four to five days a week. That being said, I've also gained a new friend who has been pushing me to finish this story, and I've recently purchased a Windows 8 tablet which I've been using to write when I can.

I was going to wait until I had _all_ the remaining chapters done before posting them all at once, but decided to post this one earlier as both a teaser and a means of letting you all know that the wait will be over before long. I don't have a timetable on when the entire group of concluding chapters will be made available, but rest assured, I am working towards it.

In the meantime, enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-One

Though the remainder of the day passed without incident, in that there were no further crises to be dealt with, Alexis couldn't find much triumph in it. She had remained on the bridge for a long while past the short exchange with Starscream, even after Rodimus had come back and offered to show them to a room they could use. She couldn't specify just why, but there was something calming about watching the new solar system come into being. By the time she was ready to retire, Alpha Q had fully "grown" two of the revived planets – one composed entirely of rock and the other covered in ice – and was regenerating a third as well.

Though Optimus had led a team (with Rodimus leading a second group) out nearly an hour ago to explore the newborn worlds and get a better sense of how to safeguard them, he had advised those who were exhausted from the events of the past several days to get some rest, with the promise that a game plan could be discussed in the morning.

Settling onto a berth next to her beloved (and an already-dozing youngling) and adopting a warm smile when Starscream wrapped her in his arms, Alexis swore that she could have been asleep in seconds if possible. What kept her up a little longer was the sight of her fellow jet frowning slightly, as he raised one hand to run over the bald spot at one side of her head. Alexis flinched slightly at the reminder that some of her metallic hair had been torn out by Megatron. Fortunately, it wouldn't be permanent; Red Alert had personally promised to fix her up once they'd returned to a more suitable location.

Giving a soft sigh and shifting slightly on the berth, Alexis quietly said, "Never imagined any drawback to wanting hair when I planned it."

"Nor did I," Starscream answered after a brief silence. "At least now we know… And implementing some feature to shield it while you're in battle would be relatively easy." Returning his hand to his side, he gave a faint smile when she laid her head on his chest and her optics began to dim. Raising his head, he planted a kiss on her brow and said simply, "Sleep well, my love…"

A great deal of time passed in the Decepticon camp before Megatron had cooled down enough to address his men. Though not a word was spoken about Sideways and his abrupt desertion, it was an issue that was clearly creating a certain level of tension amongst the group, particularly their leader. And the few soldiers who were curious if any effort had been made to locate the renegade were forced to keep it to themselves.

At the very least, Megatron could be glad that Sideways had completed the final task he'd been assigned. Over the past day, Scorpinok had proven to be a valuable minion in every sense of the word; no matter what command he was issued, and regardless of the inflection behind it, Scorpinok was following each one without hesitation or complaint.

Positioned towards the center of the chamber, Snowcat was listening halfheartedly to Megatron's speech (and to be honest, the little song and dance about restoring Unicron and wielding him as a weapon was getting tiresome). It wasn't long before the processor of the eccentric bot began drifting, his thoughts going to Sideways' final words; Snowcat could always get caught up on the salient points of the meeting from Mirage or Thundercracker.

Snowcat shifted slightly to hide his unease, doing his best to keep his face blank and make it look like he was still paying attention. Despite the fact that Sideways was more of a lone wolf than most, he had raised a valid point, especially compared to everything that Starscream and Demolisher had said thus far.

This wasn't at all like old times, and serving under Megatron _was_ getting riskier by the day.

Briefly, Snowcat entertained the possibility of following in Demolisher's footsteps and defecting to the Autobot team. But, the more he thought about it, the more reservations he started to have. He had barely tolerated being around Starscream's girl during her stint in the Decepticon fold. And, given that he had attacked her just the other day… Would he really be welcomed with open arms?

With a very soft sigh that thankfully went unnoticed, even by those standing next to him, Snowcat decided that the next battle to come would be a good chance to find out…

The following morning in the Autobot camp proved to be one of the more peaceful starts to the day that any of them had had in a good long while. When she and Starscream had convened with the others on board the bridge for a ship-to-ship video conference, it was revealed straightaway that Alpha Q had regenerated two more planets overnight and was at work on a fifth. When questions arose concerning the matter, it was revealed that each planet had been set into orbit at a fixed distance from the sun and there was no danger that any of them would ever collide with another.

Optimus further went on to say that sensor arrays had been set up, in such a way as to avoid detection, at key locations on each planet. If anything, this would serve as a way to alert all Autobots to an attack from Megatron and his forces, thus allowing them to mobilize as quickly as possible.

Almost as soon as the meeting was over, Alexis' attention was drawn to Starxis (positioned on her right shoulder, when she heard the youngling's stomach growling and quite loudly at that. A second later, her face melted into a pained, sympathetic look, and she turned her gaze towards Optimus, simultaneously taking a step forward and vaguely noting that several of the bots around her were vacating the bridge. Within moments, all who were left consisted of Optimus, Starscream, Ironhide, and herself.

Clearing her throat to draw the attention of the Autobot commander, Alexis quietly asked, "I wonder if we've made any progress in contacting Cybertron or Earth."

Optimus hesitated briefly, seeming to catch on when he glanced at the youngling himself. "Not as of yet." He shifted his weight, going on with, "Which raises another problem… Even if a search party is sent out after us, they'd have no clue as to our current state; they may not even think to bring food for… those who need it." At this, Alexis lightly bit her lip, feeling a twinge of guilt for having forgotten Kicker and Misha; she almost didn't register that Optimus was still speaking. "Plus, we don't know if the anomaly that brought us here is still active. Given that it was created through unnatural means, there's no guarantee that it would remain open indefinitely."

There was another short silence before Starscream stepped forward, laying one comforting hand on Alexis' left shoulder. "At least we can be thankful that the shuttle we left behind on the other side of the rift likely had the coordinates transmitted by Scavenger. That information would still be stored in their computer, and someone's bound to check it eventually."

Before another word could be said, Starxis, who'd been curled up with his head resting on his front paws, suddenly moved, tilting his face skyward and looking a bit more heartened. He shortly answered any questions on the minds of his adoptive parents or the Autobot commander by saying, "Alpha Q watching. May have solution."

It took only seconds to establish a video link with Alpha Q; the spindly bot, and his surroundings, was awash in a dark red glow. Those who didn't know him wouldn't have guessed that his natural color was white; the saturation was that thick.

Until she saw him in that moment, it hadn't occurred to Alexis that Alpha Q was likely trapped, in a manner of speaking, at the core of the sun. After all, the Energon level would need to be maintained, or the sun would likely burn out.

Making a mental note to see about transporting more Energon from Earth to Alpha Q once they were able, Alexis cleared her throat and softly asked about this solution that the spindly bot was speaking of.

"I have fully revived a world that is rich in vegetation," Alpha Q answered, "And I have been comparing some of the plant life on this planet to those I observed on Earth. Comparing chemical composition, toxicity level, the whole bit. And I believe that I may have found something that would satisfy your humans for the time being."

Starxis chimed in before any of the Autobots could say a word in response. "Can tell better from scent." He maneuvered so that he and Alexis could better see each other, then went on with, "Will be able to identify. Been around human food enough." A pause, and then, "May even find something for me."

After a brief moment, a gentle smile came to Alexis' lips and she raised one hand to stroke Starxis' head; Starscream stepped closer to do likewise. Optimus was the one to give voice to the one thing on the mind of both jets by saying, "That would help greatly." He took a step back, focusing on Alpha Q. "I'll let Kicker and Misha know as soon as possible."

At the mention of the teenagers, Alexis, realizing that they hadn't been present for the meeting, finally thought to ask after them. Ironhide spoke for the first time, stating that Kicker and Misha had been transported to one of the neighboring ships and were reportedly still sleeping.

Hearing this, Alexis remained silent for a bit before raising her head a notch, struck by a burst of inspiration. "Well, we wouldn't necessarily need to bring them along for the ride, right? Either way, Starxis would still be able to sniff something out." She turned to focus on Optimus. "Kicker and Misha would probably be safer on the other shuttle anyway for the time being, at least until we get a security system up and running planetside." A pause, and then, "That is, if we have your consent to go investigate, Optimus…"

Tilting his head downwards a notch, Optimus responded with, "By 'we', I'm assuming you mean Starscream and/or Ironhide and yourself." When she gave an answering nod, he added, "Very well. But I don't want the three of you going alone. I'll arrange to have Jetfire and Demolisher meet you in the hangar." He turned slightly to look at Ironhide, addressing the latter with his next statement. "You'll have to take one of the shuttlecrafts anyway to accommodate Starxis."

Within ten minutes of getting Optimus' consent, Alexis and Starscream were flanking the right side of a two-bot craft housing Demolisher and Ironhide, working their way towards a green lush-looking planet that was currently a good distance away from Rodimus' ship. All were flying at a leisurely pace (even Jetfire), having been assured that they would be alerted right away if there were any sign of the Decepticons.

En route, they passed close by one of the most beautiful worlds that Alexis had ever seen, so much so that she actually had to stop to get a better look. From a distance, it had appeared to be an ordinary mountainous planet, but a closer look showed her that it was completely made out of crystal. While many of the outcroppings and elevated pathways were easy to see through, the ground, or core of this world, was a mix of opaque light pink, navy blue, and seawater green. Alexis dimmed her optics for a moment, experiencing an indescribable emotion when she heard the faint sound of musical chimes emanating from the crystalline world, perhaps generated by the wind blowing through the crevasses or canyons.

Watching it in silence and aware that her companions had stopped as well to see what she was looking at, Alexis was struck by the notion that this was one oforlds that Unicron had likely destroyed in his quest to claw his way back from exile. If anything, the thought both saddened and enlightened her. How cruel it was, to destroy something so breathtaking, and yet, how fortunate it was to have been given another chance to shine.

Jetfire was maneuvering into her line of sight while she was caught up in this reverie, though he had to loudly clear his throat to make her focus on him. "As beautiful as it might be, Alexis, we do still have a job to do. There'll be time for sightseeing later."

Alexis took a moment to collect herself and shift her thoughts back to the task at hand. "Of course," she replied, shifting her weight and moving to keep stride with her companions when they started moving again.

Short distraction aside, it didn't take them long to reach the desired planet. Soon after the shuttlecraft housing the two ground-based Transformers touched down (close to the coordinates provided by Alpha Q), the hatch lifted open; not surprisingly, Starxis was the first to step (or rather, fly) out. And, as was the case on many of the planets that the youngling had visited, the atmosphere didn't seem to be having an adverse reaction on him. Not for the first time, Alexis marveled over her adoptive child's uncanny ability to adapt.

Confidant that Starxis would be alright, Alexis focused on Demolisher and Ironhide for a few seconds as they too exited the craft, then shifted her gaze to take in their surroundings. Viewing the numerous redwood-like trees (though the trunk and branches were an interesting shade of lavender, with large royal blue leaves sprouting from them) surrounding the clearing (which they had been lucky to find amid the lush forest), Alexis was struck by the same notion that had crossed her mind upon seeing the crystalline planet.

Starscream had undoubtedly been hearing her thoughts, both then and now, but he seemed more inspired to send a telepathic reply right now. _I wouldn't get your hopes up, Alexis. We'll do what we can to safeguard them, but you know how Megatron can be. And we are ill-prepared to stand against him… Realistically, we may not be able to save them all._

Alexis nodded, bowing her head slightly to hide the sorrow in her optics from the others. Even as she registered that Jetfire was volunteering to stay with the shuttle while the rest of them went investigating, she answered, _If only we could make him see as we do…_ A pause, and then, _What I wouldn't give to have a repeat episode of the wish Starxis granted for me._

Starscream chuckled lightly, moving to her side and wrapping one arm around her, brushing his lips against her forehead. _Dare to dream…_

Starxis had by now found a perch on her right shoulder, and he shortly drew her attention by saying, "Sorry can't help, Mommy."

"Sorry about what?" Ironhide asked, looking their way. At the question, Alexis looked up to see that she had become the center of attention; clearly, the youngling's voice had been loud enough to be heard by all.

Alexis shook her head. "Nothing of importance," she answered, briefly wondering why Starxis hadn't communicated that telepathically. But then, she reasoned that perhaps the youngling's own mental capabilities needed time to develop.

It didn't take them long to reach the coordinates provided by Alpha Q, and Alexis was quick to turn her head and look at her child, giving a slight nod. A second after being prompted, Starxis abruptly leaped from her shoulder, spreading his wings as he dropped towards the ground to slow his descent to some degree. Once on the ground, he took several steps towards a mass of foliage on the ground and tentatively sniffing at it.

After a minute or two of watching Starxis move from one plant to the next with no success, Alexis gave a sigh and half turned away, turning to look at her companions; there were so many different species of vegetation around that this could take a while. And plus, Alpha Q hadn't told them exactly what they should be looking for.

Letting out another breath, Alexis relaxed her stance, thinking it may be better just to take it easy for the time being, to give Starxis time to do what he had to without being pressured. They'd be contacted in case of trouble either way, and they might as well take advantage of this moment of peace while they could.

Even still, the best she could come up with to kick off a conversation was related to their current predicament. Focusing on Demolisher, she said softly, "How hard do you think it might be to protect these planets?"

Demolisher hesitated for a moment, and then a very faint smile rose to his lips. "Even the Decepticons can't be everywhere at once. And don't forget, Megatron only has, at best, one hundred soldiers at his disposal. Apart from Snowcat, Mirage, Sideways, and Shockblast, there's very few of them who would pose an actual threat."

Alexis paused, lightly biting at her lip. "Who's Mirage?" she asked tentatively.

Demolisher began lightly chuckling after an instant. "Guess I shouldn't have assumed you knew," he answered, throwing a glance at Starscream, and then Ironhide, to see that they looked equally confused. "I ran into and fought him briefly the other day, after we'd separated… He's Tidal Wave, or rather, he was Tidal Wave. Megatron apparently had him rebuilt so he's roughly the same size as the rest of us now. Wouldn't have recognized him at all if he hadn't had the same voice… Well, that, and he still has the habit of occasionally repeating his own name over and over."

Starscream blinked, tilting his head down a notch and feeling slightly ashamed at the realization that he hadn't given much thought to the big guy or what had become of him. Looking back up, he asked Demolisher if he might provide them with a visual; the latter was quick to oblige, transferring the image to a datapad he had with him and passing it around.

Ironhide was the first to voice a question that may or may not have been circulating in everyone's processor. "Why would Megatron rebuild Tidal Wave like this? He would have been more formidable the way he was."

Alexis rubbed at the side of her head, countering with, "You're assuming that much of what Megatron does these days actually makes sense? At least in the old days, he could be reasoned with and there was more logic to his actions."

Ironhide hesitated, his thoughts going to the Decepticon leader's obsession with controlling Unicron. "Good point."

At the words, Demolisher looked towards Alexis. Though she would later determine that the next subject of discussion would undoubtedly have been eating at him, it still surprised her that he brought it up. "I don't know if it helps at all, but... There's no excuse for what Snowcat did to you."

Alexis blinked. It took her some time to formulate a response. "I appreciate the effort, Demolisher, but please don't try to justify what _I_ did to _him_."

Demolisher's face hardened. "Don't, Alexis! Just don't! You're not to blame. You were simply doing what you had to... In either case, Megatron's the one he should be mad at. What occurred after was all that tyrant's doing, not yours!" Demolisher paused. "Snowcat had no right to take it out on you."

Starscream bowed his head, his friend's words sparking something that he'd avoided thinking about until now. He hadn't wanted to assign any blame to Snowcat\Cyclonus, but he couldn't deny that the eccentric bot had behaved in a cowardly manner. In a tossup between an experienced warlord and a rookie (though innovative) femme jet, Snowcat had chosen the target that he apparently feared less. Quietly, he said, "You raise a valid point, Demolisher... I suppose that not all of us can be counted on to stand up to Megatron."

After a short silence, Demolisher shifted his weight, looking towards Starscream. It was clear that the hard-edged bot had to be hurting in the light of this simple truth, though he didn't exactly voice it. "So, what do you think? The sooner this all comes to an end, the better?"

Starscream shifted his gaze, his optics locking with Alexis', and a slight shiver coursed through her when she heard the thought of their promised future child cross his mind. The prospect hadn't been far from her own processor since he'd first voiced it, but it was at this moment that Alexis vowed it would be something that she'd hold onto from this point as a reminder to stay strong and brave through whatever awaited them…

Early that morning, Chromia had personally volunteered to take on guard duty, to personally spend a good part of the day watching the Autobots' one and only prisoner. There had been several protests to this, but Rodimus had personally vouched for her. There was something about the fact that her father considered her to be cool and collected enough to be able to handle this that made her surge with pride.

But now, seated in a metal chair facing the makeshift cell, Chromia was coming to regret that choice. For all of her bravado and confidence in herself, she had been unprepared for one single fact.

Shockblast scared the slag out of her.

Ironically, he didn't even have to say anything to elicit this reaction. From the moment she'd walked in and seated herself, he'd simply been staring at her with a quiet intensity that had gradually worked to unnerve her. And yet, she couldn't determine (given that his face was impossible to read) whether his thoughts were geared towards that of a homicidal or erotic nature.

Chromia had, at some point, resigned herself to putting on a brave facade for the duration, until such time as she was relieved. She dared not activate her coms to ask for a replacement or otherwise provide Shockblast with any indication that he was getting to her.

Until such time however, the time in which she would be stuck in this room with him was going to be absolute hell...

Almost a full day passed before Megatron began to organize a strike against the Autobots. He'd had Scorpinok working full-time in those twenty-four hours to rebuild the Terrorcon army; though the latter had to be low on energy after being up and about for so long, not a word of complaint so much as crossed his lips.

Standing off on the sidelines, Snowcat couldn't resist whispering a question to Thundercracker that earned a laugh from the rookie: "How long do you think Scorpi-nut can last before he collapses?"

Past that short exchange, Snowcat forced himself to pay attention; he was quite interested to learn that Megatron had been spying on the Autobots and Alpha Q, utilizing Unicron's omniscient abilities, for a good deal of time.

Though Megatron didn't outright say what the enemy troops were up to, he did announce that Alpha Q was building up a new solar system, with multiple planets rich with Energon. Granted, Snowcat's optics were gleaming at the prospect, but he reminded himself that he could just as well reap the rewards on the opposing team as he could amongst the Decepticons.

When Megatron spoke of the personal mission he himself would be undertaking, once the majority of the Autobots had been sufficiently drawn away from their flagships, it solidified Snowcat's belief that he was doing the right thing. He really needed to get out before things got worse.

And, if he could throw a monkey wrench in Megatron's little scheme while he was at it, then all the better…

Needless to say, Kicker and Misha were quite relieved and pleasantly surprised to be presented with something edible, roughly thirty-five minutes later; Alexis and Starscream had gone straight to their shuttle from the forest planet upon the conclusion of Starxis' search. Within moments, Misha was at work in the kitchen washing the red stalks and yellow leafy vegetables in the sink, as well as preparing some meaty-looking brownish-pink fruit for Starxis, while Alexis observed from a few feet away; the room they were currently occupying was large enough for both humans and the Transformers to roam around in.

While Misha accepted the food wholeheartedly, Kicker gradually came to have some reservations. "You're sure this food is safe?" he asked Alexis, lightly biting his lip

Alexis nodded. "Starxis said so, and I trust him. So should you. He's never steered us wrong."

Misha looked over, a gentle smile playing at her lips. "Alexis is right, Kicker," she added, then paused to finish cutting the fruit into strips and put it on a platter for Starxis, which she then set on the floor. In the next instant, Misha picked up one of the red stalks, testing its consistency before announcing out loud that it probably needed to be boiled to soften it up.

Once Misha had put a pot of water together and set it on the stove with the stalks soaking within, she turned her attention to the yellow leaves. As if to prove her point and/or convince her boyfriend that it was safe, she lifted one to her mouth and took a small bite.

When no adverse effects presented themselves, Misha's smile widened and she encouraged Kicker to come closer and dig in. "Don't be a chicken," she added, half teasingly, when he still hesitated. "It may be a while before the Earth food we're used to. Until then, we should make the best of it." She took another bite of the yellow leaves, taking time to savor the taste of it. After a bit of thought, she said, "It sort of tastes like cheddar cheese with a hint of oregano."

Alexis shifted her weight, experiencing an odd wave of melancholy at the notion that she couldn't try some herself. "Interesting combination. Not what I would have expected leaves - any leaves - to taste like, but that's just me."

At those words, Kicker's reluctance faltered, and he joined Misha at the counter, his stomach growling as he did so. At his girlfriend's insistence, he ate slowly for fear of getting ill if he scarfed it down too fast. After just a few seconds, a smile was lighting up his face as well. "It's delicious."

Misha shot him an "I told you so" look even as she moved to check on the boiling "veggies", eliciting a laugh from Alexis.

In the next instant, Alexis shifted her gaze to Starxis, adopting her own smile when she saw the youngling also appeared contented (though he was licking at his lips), a now empty platter lying before him. Relieved, Alexis simply thought, _At least one of our problems is solved._

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, however, before Kicker suddenly tensed, turning slowly away from the counter and staring towards the far wall (and beyond) in a way that disturbed Alexis. "What?" the latter asked. "What is it?"

Kicker looked up at her, summing it all up with just a few simple words. "I'm not sure who, but... We've got incoming..."

It didn't take long for Optimus and Hot Shot, once Alexis radioed to them on the bridge of the flagship, to determine that the unknown entities (hidden from view of the shuttles) were approaching the crystalline planet and rather quickly at that. Though unsure whether or not this was something to be concerned over, Optimus quickly turned to regard the bridge's current occupants, and, after rapidly assessing that each of them could hold their own if need be, bid that they all accompany him. Seconds later, he raised Alexis and Starscream on the coms to head out as well, despite some worry over their well-being as they were likely to reach the planet first.

Such concerns were also crossing Alexis' mind as she was flying towards the crystalline world at top speed, with her beloved close by her side. However, Starscream didn't even have to read her mind to intuit what she was thinking. No doubt, the memory of the last time they'd been on their own was coming to his processor as well. Moving slightly in front of her, he said simply, "Follow my lead."

Though slightly perplexed, Alexis fell in behind him, reducing her speed by a small fraction. Not long after they entered the atmosphere of the crystal planet, however, her curiosity was satisfied when Starscream maneuvered towards a shallow gully near where the approaching beings were likely to touch down, transforming as he landed.

Alexis was shortly joining him, shifting to her robot mode as well and feeling slightly reassured by the notion that the gully was deep enough (and the sides opaque enough) to conceal them from view. Working to shut down her less important functions lest even the slightest noise give her away, she turned her head to look at her fellow jet, subtly shifting to grasp at her personalized weapon. "Recon?" she murmured as softly as she could.

Starscream caught her hand in his, then gently maneuvered her so she was facing away from him and reaching up to grip her winged weapon himself. Alexis only suffered a second or two of surprise before willing it to detach from her back; she supposed that having someone better able to see what they were doing was a more sufficient way of maintaining stealth.

After quietly passing Alexis' weapon to her, Starscream tilted his head slightly to the side, listening intently for any indication that the unknown entities were nearby, then silently removed a small device from one of his compartments, soaring upwards slightly to place it on the ground at the edge of the chasm. Once back at her side, he opened a panel on his arm and, with a few typed commands, pulled up a video of the landscape above where they were hidden.

As a small smile formed at Alexis' lips, Starscream briefly looked her way and simply said, "Now we wait..."

Though Optimus and his team (consisting of Rodimus, Scavenger, Hot Shot, and Elita) were only ten minutes behind Starscream and Alexis, they were the first to gain sight of the approaching party. As one, they all relaxed somewhat when they identified Scorpinok with a handful of the Terrorcons trailing behind him. In their relief, the Autobot team slowed their pace, half expecting Scorpinok to change direction once he spotted them.

When Scorpinok's trajectory didn't change, the initial collective thought amongst Optimus' group was that he'd simply failed to notice them, for whatever reason. This belief was only substantiated when they saw his visor was down and covering his optics, and they took this to mean that he was in communication with Alpha Q. Fleetingly, Rodimus wondered why Alpha Q wouldn't have given them the heads up, but he had dealt with the spindly bot enough to recognize that the latter's decisions didn't always make sense.

So it was that Optimus, simultaneously seeing out of the corner of his optic that Jetfire, Demolisher, and Ironhide were exiting one of the neighboring shuttles to join in, activated his comlink to communicate to Alexis and Starscream that there was no danger, and to ask that they move to greet Scorpinok on his landing...

Alexis (having sheathed her weapon upon hearing who was approaching) was beyond elated when she and her fellow jet emerged from the gully and her optics alighted on Scorpinok. Wearing a wide smile, she exchanged a look with Starscream, her thoughts clearly evident by the look upon her face. _He made it after all!_

As he moved to approach the majestic bot at a leisurely pace with his beloved by his side, Starscream truly didn't see anything wrong at the outset. The closer he got, however, the more of an impression he got that something was off. The fact that Scorpinok was, in essence, flying blind but still able to accurately know where he was headed (the moment in which the majestic bot shifted on his axis and began drifting downwards so he'd be standing upright when he reached the planet's surface was a dead giveaway) seemed to hint that the latter was being fed directions through the visor's communications array.

Starscream put one hand to Alexis' arm to halt her even before the Terrorcons behind Scorpinok scattered, heading to separate points of the surrounding area and chipping away at the surface of the crystalline planet. Alexis turned to look at her fellow jet in a questioning manner; Starscream wondered how she could not have seen that something was wrong.

He was quick to voice as much, and, at his words, Alexis turned back to scrutinize Scorpinok, now standing motionless where he'd landed. After a long, tense moment, she spoke the majestic bot's name in a light, questioning manner.

Scorpinok moved like lightning, at a speed that neither Starscream nor Alexis had thought him capable of, at the single inquiry, rushing towards her with his visor still down and knocking her roughly to the ground with a backhand before either jet could react.

That was all the incentive Starscream needed to toss aside any misgivings he had. He quickly drew his sword even as Scorpinok was maneuvering to lay him flat as well, simultaneously leaping backwards out of range.

An instant later (and Starscream was never sure if Scorpinok did so to get a fix on him or not), the majestic bot finally raised the visor, his gaze locking on his "prey." Upon seeing the deadened look in Scorpinok's optics, a solid indication that the actions of the majestic bot were not his own, Starscream fought to quell the rush of dread and sorrow threatening to take root.

This had to be Sideways' handiwork; the rogue bot must be quite skilled at hacking to override the safety protocols in Scorpinok's processor. Either way, Scorpinok (whom both jets had come to revere for his bravery and nobility) had now unequivocally become Megatron's puppet.

Starscream didn't even have time to process how to handle this before he caught sight of a portal opening up across the crystalline plain and saw an alarmingly large number of Terrorcons come pouring out, followed by any and all Decepticon troops under Megatron's command.

Even as he leapt backwards once more to stay out of Scorpinok's reach, Starscream exchanged a glance with Alexis, fear threatening to overtake him as he became acutely aware of just how outnumbered they both were...

Those who had been wondering if Alpha Q was tuned in to any of this would have been pleased to know that the spindly bot was indeed watching, though he had only been doing so from about the moment that Scorpinok had touched down. Perhaps, if Alpha Q had not taken the time for some much needed recharge, those first few moments of the battle may have turned out quite differently.

Alpha Q had just been attempting to reach Scorpinok via the communication screen in the latter's visor, when he saw the attack commence. Uncomprehending, Alpha Q tried futilely to get through to Scorpinok, though he could never determine if the communication was being blocked or if his friend was simply too far gone to hear his voice.

Once the Terrorcons and Decepticons appeared, Alpha Q could only watch in shocked silence for a tenuous moment. Once he saw his own beastly drones and the enemy bots accompanying them wreaking havoc to the planet's surface - smashing through the crystalline "crust" in what could only be an effort to access the Energon reserves - shock and fear were replaced by a swelling anger.

_How dare they!_ Alpha Q thought furiously. _Do they know how hard I've worked to recreate this world?!_ To the outside observer, it would have seemed the oddest thing to be mad about under the circumstances, but such were the thought processes of the spindly bot.

Seeing a handful of the Decepticons detaching themselves from the main group and make a move towards Scorpinok, Starscream, and Sky Dancer drove Alpha Q to take action. If anything, he could still safeguard the ones who had helped him realize his dream. The surge of Energon he sent downwards, drawn from his own cache, to the patch of ground separating the two groups caused that part of the landscape to swell, stalagmites of multi-colored crystal rapidly stretching upwards as though desperately hungry for the Energon being fed to it.

It didn't do much for Starscream and Sky Dancer for defense against Scorpinok, but at least it afforded them enough of a distraction to get away...

Even in the seconds before Alpha Q came to their aid, Alexis was herself working to try and salvage the situation. An instant after it registered to her that she and Starscream were in big trouble, she half-twisted, half-rolled onto her side, reaching around to grasp her winged weapon in one fluid motion. In the next second or two, she was on her feet, surging towards Scorpinok and acting purely on instinct.

As she passed by the majestic bot, she merely drew the sharpened edge of her weapon across the side of his arm without breaking stride, not stopping until she came abreast of Starscream and whirled to face Scorpinok, her quarterstaff held in readiness of an attack.

Their opponent seemed to be confused for an instant, his face inclined slightly to the side as though he were trying to figure out what had scratched him. Starscream might have used the opportunity to further disable Scorpinok had he not noticed that some of the Decepticons across the way (most notably Snowcat\Cyclonus) were looking in their direction.

Even still, Starscream suffered a moment of hesitation until the ground separating him, Alexis, and Scorpinok from the others abruptly came alive, the outcroppings springing into existence so suddenly he initially thought he must be imagining it. Had a freestanding video screen displaying Alpha Q not subsequently appeared, had the spindly not implored them to run, Starscream might have stood there transfixed for too long.

At Alpha Q's words, Starscream wheeled around, lightly tugging at Alexis' arm to get her moving as well. He barely had time to hook his wing sword back into place before he was transforming into his vehicle mode, firing up his afterburners as quickly as he could.

Starscream's burst of speed was so instantaneous that a sonic boom sounded through the area as he took off at full throttle. It took only seconds before a second boom accompanied his, indicating, as he'd both hoped and expected, that Alexis was hot on his heels.

And, given that it wouldn't take much for either jet to regroup from the unexpected assault - Primus help any of the enemy bots who made an attempt to catch them...

Past telling the duo to flee, Alpha Q watched them depart before shifting the angle of the viewscreen so it was facing Scorpinok, intent on trying to get through to his friend if possible. The instant their optics locked, something in Scorpinok's gaze darkened and he raised his weapons, beginning to blast away at the viewscreen as though he fully expected to inflict some damage. It was then that Alpha Q recognized that Scorpinok may simply be going through the motions, intent on attacking anything that moved that was not part of his own team.

Despite having the mental aptitude of a drone, Scorpinok at least came to recognize that the viewscreen wasn't taking any damage (or, if not, then an order had been transmitted to him to focus his attention elsewhere), for he eventually turned away, his gaze turning towards the ground at his feet. An instant later, Scorpinok was hunched over, driving his fists over and over into the crystal crust and inflicting far more damage than that of the Terrorcons around him. Taking notice, the predatory bots soon flocked around their master, joining him in their eagerness to claim their prize.

Struck speechless for once, Alpha Q could only watch helplessly as his own army laid waste to one of the worlds he'd fought to revive. After a long tense moment, he broadcast a message to the Autobots, imploring them to pick up the pace and apprising them of the situation...

Following the flight of Starscream and his girl, Snowcat briefly thought about tailing them, but quickly decided it may not be a good idea. Odds were good that Thundercracker would want to accompany him; there'd be no easy way to explain to the exuberant rookie why that wouldn't be an option. Thundercracker likely wouldn't understand why Snowcat wouldn't want to remain on the Decepticon team, as things stood.

_How funny,_ Snowcat mused. _It wasn't all that long ago that Demolisher was saying I was the one who didn't understand._

Past that thought, Snowcat found some distraction in watching Scorpinok "attack" the viewscreen displaying Alpha Q, then in watching the Terrorcons decimate the planet. After two minutes, however, a volley of laser fire began to rain down from the sky, no doubt heralding the arrival of the Autobots, as well as from across the tundra from the direction where Starscream and the girl had fled. As none of the members of the Decepticon team who were present had expected the counterattack to originate from two different directions, they were unsure where to direct their own fire. Thus, many of them scattered, seeking cover wherever they could.

Such was the reason Snowcat wound up positioned behind an opaque crystal stalagmite, some distance away, by himself, unable to see where any of his comrades in arms had disappeared to. After a second, he drew his laser pistol, yet didn't dare otherwise move to peek around the sides of his hiding spot to get a fix of any of the enemy soldiers. Instead, he merely focused on listening, intent on blasting away at anyone he heard closing in.

Aware that someone was approaching from behind the stalagmite where he was hidden, Snowcat tightened his grip on the pistol, holding it up close to his face with the barrel pointed skyward, every ounce of his being tense as could be. Slowly, he let out a breath, then, moving quick as lightning, wheeled out into view, the gun maneuvering to fix on a target.

Snowcat's opponent was quicker—remarkably so – one hand already raised at the instant the eccentric bot had stepped into view that closed around the gun and wrenched it so the barrel was pointed off to the side. With his free hand, Snowcat's opponent gripped the back of the eccentric bot's neck, almost simultaneously head-butting Snowcat hard enough to leave the latter dazed for a moment.

When Snowcat recovered his senses half a minute later, he was surprised that he was still standing, relatively unharmed. Though curious why the red and black mech before him was just standing there watching him, albeit with a hardened look, Snowcat didn't let that, or the fear he was feeling, show. After an instant, Snowcat adopted a fighting pose, beginning to charge up his cannons.

Snowcat's opponent detached a pair of axles from his frame that resembled clubs, perhaps as a warning. Given that he elected to speak up at this point, that was probably a safe assumption. "I'm not going to fight you unless you make me, Cyclonus."

Later on, Snowcat was never sure if Demolisher used his original name as a means of making his identity clear or not, but he needn't have bothered; there was no mistaking that voice. Even still, Snowcat almost didn't dare breathe, as though that may shatter the reality. "You're alive…?"

Demolisher hesitated, then gave the slightest of nods, punctuating it by quietly saying, "I'm alive." He took a small step forward even as he said, "Come on, Cyclonus! It'd take more than a collapsing tower to do me in!"

At the words, Snowcat relaxed his stance, a wave of relief washing over his features. Briefly, he wondered where the other Autobots were, but then figured that Demolisher had conveyed to them, in some form or other, that he alone could handle this situation. Taking a step forward and letting out an elated laugh, he said, "You have no idea how glad I am to see you. I can't believe…"

Demolisher stopped him, his gaze darkening. "Don't, Snowcat," he spat out. "I only said I wouldn't fight unless you forced it. That doesn't mean I particularly trust you right now."

Snowcat hesitated, thrown by this admission. Demolisher didn't let him get a word in edgewise before continuing with, "The old team may be divided right now, but I had wanted to believe there was still a sense of honor and kinship among us."

Snowcat was silent for a beat, then spoke in a halting tone. "There is. Nothing between us has changed, Demolisher…"

Demolisher scowled. "Tell that to Starscream," he snapped. "Or did you honestly think there wouldn't be any consequences to you nearly getting his girl killed?! The same girl, I might point out, that I risked my own life trying to save from Megatron." Demolisher took a step back, crossing his arms. "Give me one good reason why I should forgive you."

Snowcat paused, frantically wracking his processor. In the end, the one idea that crossed his processor was to perhaps provide Intel about what was occurring in the Decepticon camp. "You might be interested to know that Sideways deserted… I'm not sure exactly what Megatron did that ticked him off, but he was long gone before any of us caught on."

Having not been expecting that, Demolisher blinked in surprise. In retrospect, he realized he should have expected as much; both Sideways and Megatron were so headstrong that it would only have been a matter of time before they reached a breaking point. He shifted his weight, some of the darkness leaving his optics. "Interesting… And good to know." A pause, and then, "Anything else that the Autobots should be aware of?"

Snowcat gulped, wondering why he hadn't opened with the more pressing news first. Even the few seconds of delay might have made all the difference in preventing a catastrophe (especially in the long run) for both sides. Haltingly, he said, "Meg… Megatron is… using this battle at a distraction… He… He knows where Shockblast is being held…"

Snowcat didn't say anything more, but he didn't need to. The implications were perfectly clear to Demolisher. Even still, the hard-edged bot suffered an additional moment of hesitation, he was so caught off guard by the admission.

In the next instant, Demolisher half turned away from Snowcat, trusting the eccentric bot enough not to attack him whilst he as distracted. In that same instant, Demolisher opened a channel both to Rodimus and anyone still occupying the bridge on the latter's shuttle, alerting them to the fact that Chromia (having quickly determined that trying to raise her might be pointless since she may already be under attack) was in very big trouble and the reason why…

At roughly this same moment, Chromia had risen from her seat outside Shockblast's cell, partially due to unease over the fact that he was still staring at her in silence and partly because she needed to stretch. The fact that Shockblast's gaze followed her across the room did nothing to put her at ease, and she came to a halt just by the doorway, facing the captive, psychotic bot with a very light sigh.

Chromia barely heard a slight disturbance behind her before a large hand was planted at the center of her upper back, pushing her forward and spinning her round so she was face planted against the wall before she knew it. With a grunt, she turned her head to the left, and every inch of her frame went cold once it became clear who had her pinned.

At least she could be thankful that Megatron's interest in her stopped there. Though he maintained an iron grip on her that kept her firmly in place, he half turned away, charging up the laser shotgun in his free hand and blasting away at the control panel next to Shockblast's cell.

This proved sufficient in shorting out the forcefield; if Shockblast actually had a mouth, there was no doubt (in either Chromia's mind or Megatron's) that he'd be grinning as he stepped forward. "Megatron," he greeted in a decidedly curious tone. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Megatron had no qualms about answering in front of Chromia; it would only be a matter of time before the Autobots figured it out on their own. "Because I'm in need of someone to fill a void in the Decepticon ranks." When Shockblast's head tilted slightly to the side in a questioning manner, the Megatron went on with, "Sideways went AWOL. That's all you need to know, Shockblast… Now I'd suggest we clear out before the reinforcements show up."

At that, Megatron turned his attention back to Chromia, and she dimmed her optics with a feeling of dread as he pressed in. Yet, the words that Megatron said softly next to her audio receptor pretty much floored her. "You were far too easy to subdue, my dear. Consider yourself lucky. If you'd actually put up a worthy fight, I wouldn't be the least bit lenient."

Though a small part of her was relieved to be getting out of this unscathed, Chromia still balked at Megatron's words. Given that she prided herself on being a plucky, self-sufficient fighter, the notion that her skills were being taken so lightly grated at her. When Megatron released his grip on her, it was all she could do not to spring into action to prove him wrong. Ultimately, she would never know how she managed to restrain herself.

Chromia remained still for so long, watching Megatron step back through the doorway and fully expecting Shockblast to follow, that she was caught off guard when the barrel of psychotic bot's cannon was pressed squarely against the side of her head. This caused her fear to spike in a split second; at point blank range, the shot that was sure to follow would kill her instantly.

Chromia was surprised that Shockblast didn't fire right away; perhaps he was just enough of a psychopath that he wanted to hear her beg. She didn't know if it would have made a difference or not, but fear for her life made her willing to oblige. "Please," she sputtered out. "Don't…"

Tilting his head ever so slightly to the side, Shockblast's single optic seemed to shine with malice. "So pathetic," he stated in a scathing tone. Chromia would never know what his next move would have been, had Megatron not surged back into the room and instantly thrown a punch at Shockblast's head.

Given that the Decepticon leader followed this by beating Shockblast down without a word, moving so quickly that the psychotic bot didn't have any chance of defending himself, Chromia didn't dare move except to flatten herself against the wall. Even still, the irony of the situation struck her; Megatron was actually _helping_ to save her.

Once Shockblast was down, a kick to his face courtesy of Megatron was sufficient to knock him out. Scowling, the Decepticon leader reached down, grasping Shockblast roughly by one arm and beginning to drag him from the room, simultaneously saying, "This is the last time I let you get away with your life for disobeying orders, Shockblast."

Watching them depart with an interesting mix of fear, relief, and disbelief, Chromia honestly couldn't decide which of the two Decepticons was the crazier one…

Though the battle was still on at the time that Demolisher's message came through over the coms, Rodimus (with Elita in tow) was still dispatched, with a single exchanged look between him and Optimus, to head back to the shuttle to see to the welfare of his adopted daughter. Even so, the battle, such as it was, didn't last much longer. Such was the drawback of battling on a planet comprised entirely of crystal; it was far too easy for the Terrorcons to smash through to the core and collect their bounty.

Even so, Snowcat was allowed just enough time to conclude his talk with Demolisher. Shortly after broadcasting the warning, the hard-edged bot turned back to look at his companion. After a short silence that seemed to drag on forever, Demolisher stated, "Not that I don't appreciate the heads up, but this hardly changes anything. I don't know what you're hoping for…"

Snowcat took half a step forward. "For a chance to come back," he blurted out, causing the hard-edged bot to hesitate. Without giving Demolisher a chance to respond, Snowcat went on with, "The more I think about it, the more I think you're right, Demolisher. If you could see up close how Megatron's been acting as of late…" A pause, and then, "I know I probably don't know much of what occurred between you and him at the time you left, but he's been behaving more and more erratically by the day." Snowcat offered an abbreviated version of Megatron's recent actions, then followed by saying, "I don't feel safe there anymore."

Demolisher paused, an unreadable expression on his face. With a deep sigh, he finally responded with, "After all that's happened, Snowcat, I don't think you'd be all that much safer among the Autobots. Not after crossing the line the way you have." There was another pause, in which Demolisher turned and started to walk away. For a tense moment, the eccentric bot feared that Demolisher may just leave it at that, but the hard-edged bot didn't get far before turning his head in Snowcat's direction, halting as he did so.

Demolisher's words, though not promising, did offer Snowcat some degree of hope. "I'll see what I can do, about smoothing things over with Starscream and the Autobots… Just… Don't set your expectations too high, Snowcat…"

By the time Rodimus got back to the shuttle, Chromia was virtually seething, and had taken out her anger on part of the store room across from where Shockblast had been being held. He even had to stop her from smashing a component he'd gone to a lot of trouble to acquire, catching her by the arm and wrenching it from her grip before she could react.

Even so, Chromia, in her blind rage, turned and took a swing at him, but Rodimus had no problem countering it. "Enough!" he barked out, the veracity and volume in his tone enough to make her halt.

Chromia had to force herself to focus, even though every fiber of her being was still itching to vent. "Rodimus," she said in as even a tone as she could muster.

Even though it was fairly easy to determine by sight, and even though he'd been given a rundown by someone who'd viewed the video playback on the bridge, Rodimus still had to ask, even as he set the engine component on a workstation to his right. "Did either of them hurt you?"

Chromia tilted her head up a notch, a defiant look in her optics. "As you can see, I'm perfectly fine," she said sharply.

Rodimus' gaze softened ever so slightly. "Please don't lie to me. I know you too well for that."

Chromia bristled nonetheless, hating him for that simple fact. "What do you want me to say, Rodimus?"

"I want you for once to swallow your pride!" he shot back, stepping forward and seizing her by one arm, causing her to look at him with a mix of fury and disbelief. A pause, and then, "It is nothing short of a miracle that you were in a room with two of the most savage Decepticons that ever lived and came out without a scratch. Instead of crying over being bested, maybe you should be thankful for that."

Chromia scoffed. "That's easy for you to say."

"No, it's not," Rodimus answered, causing her to look at him with a tiny amount of surprise. "I have four times more experience than you, Chromia, and not even I could hope to beat Megatron in a fight. Had it suited him, he would have killed you!" He released his grip on her, stepping back with a deep sigh. "And, had that happened, he might as well have stabbed me through the spark as well," Rodimus finished quietly.

Chromia didn't get a chance to reply before Elita appeared through the doorway, demonstrating that she'd overheard by stating, "And me as well." Elita paused, stepping further into the room with her arms crossed in a self-comforting manner. "Both Father and I care about you very much, Chromia. Having to imagine life without you…" Elita looked up, a pained look in her optics. She let her words linger in the air, long enough for them to sink in, then pleaded, "Promise us you'll let this go. You're alive and unhurt. That's all that matters!"

Chromia was silent for a long while, then stepped forward, allowing each of them to lay a hand on one of her upper arms though her face still held a look of defiance. At last, she stated, in a monotone voice, "I promise."

At those words, both Rodimus and Elita pulled her into a group embrace, even though Chromia wasn't the least bit comfortable with the close proximity. Standing near the edge of the doorway and observing this tableau, Ironhide didn't know whether to be nervous or relieved that none of the three had noticed him, though he didn't dare intrude on what was clearly a family moment. It simply relieved him as well to know that Chromia was alright, though he doubted that her spoken promise held any weight behind it.

And so, taking care to be as quiet as he could, Ironhide slowly inched back down the corridor, making a mental note to personally keep an optic out for Chromia and keep her out of trouble in future endeavors…

For a long while after the battle ended, Alexis couldn't get the visions of the broken crystal landscape and of a brainwashed Scorpinok out of her head. For once, even Starscream was having some difficulty consoling her, in spite of the fact that he could hear her thoughts. In all his years having known her, he had never seen her this quiet and downright numb; he had to wonder if perhaps she'd set her hopes too high that everything would turn out perfectly fine.

Eventually, Alexis found herself alone in a lounge on Rodimus' shuttle, reclining on one of the futons and peering blindly out the large window facing the crystalline world. She didn't know how long she lay there, silent and still with her hands folded over her stomach, before she got an unexpected visitor.

A viewscreen of sorts displaying Alpha Q appeared on the window just to the right of the planet she was observing. The image of the spindly bot appeared so suddenly that it should have startled her, but Alexis was feeling too cold inside to be fazed. Languidly, she turned her head in Alpha Q's direction, remaining silent for a moment longer before saying "I'm sorry we couldn't be of more help."

Neither she nor Alpha Q were clear on which loss she was referring to, but both were affecting her and the spindly bot just the same. Nevertheless, Alpha Q focused on the subject of his oldest and dearest friend. "How could Megatron do this to Scorpinok? How can he not care about who he hurts?"

Alexis briefly dimmed her optics, a wave of pain washing over her. "I'm sorry that you had to be subjected to this kind of cruelty," she said lightly, even though she knew that it was through Alpha Q's actions that Megatron had clawed his way back into the world. "From what I know… Megatron doesn't like losing. He does whatever he can to seize power, and…" Alexis paused, feeling a pang in her spark as she addressed her own recent indoctrination. "I feel that taking things that aren't his is a way for him to feel superior." She looked over at Alpha Q. "I wish that you could have been spared that ordeal. Primus knows you've been through enough in your short life as it is."

"As have you," Alpha Q answered after a moment. "I suppose that is something we have in common, Sky Dancer." He paused, then said, "What is the answer then? I don't see how to combat Megatron, let alone how to get Scorpinok back."

Alexis rubbed at her optics with one hand. "The answer is, perhaps, to never stop fighting. If there's a way to bring him back, to make him remember who he is, we'll find it… And who knows, maybe all Scorpinok needs is to see something familiar, something he recognizes that will jog his memory."

Alpha Q hesitated, then abruptly brightened. "Thank you for the input, Sky Dancer. I think I just might know how…"


End file.
